Scarlet Dreams
by tragedyneverends
Summary: A mysterious past, a secret, a terrible accident, a sacrifice, a nightmare... a young man drinking blood. "You - you're the vampire of my dreams!"
1. Prologue

**Scarlet dreams**

_Prologue_

The corridor was too narrow, dark and empty. It was also very quiet; the only things she could hear were her own breathing, her own heartbeats, and her own quick, desperate footsteps. She noticed her feet were bare; she could feel the soft carpet against her skin, burning and caressing at the same time. But... why was she bare-feet? Where were her shoes?

Where was she?

She was in a house, but it was not her own. She'd never been there, and she didn't wanted to stay for too long because it was a dark, lonely place that made her feel trapped like a bird in its tiny cage, and scared like a shipwrecked person in a huge island. She wanted to leave, but she wanted even more to know how the hell she'd gotten there and what she was doing there.

Her heart was hammering against her chest. Was it possible, she wondered, for it to break her rib cage? She guessed not.

There were doors at both sides of the corridor. The ones at the left faced the ones at the right, and each of them were placed two meters away. She knew she had to try to open them (perhaps the exit was behind one of them), but she did not do it because she had a very strong feeling that they would be locked anyways, that there was no point on trying, that she just had to keep running, to keep seeking desperately for an exit, because, God, this place was suffocating her! She was not claustrophobic, but it seemed like she had just turned into one.

_Run_, her mind screamed. _Find an exit, if it exists. It must exist. There has to be a way to get out of here. Find it, find it..._

Gasping for air, she stopped running. Her legs could not keep moving anymore; she was just too tired. How long had she been running? Minutes? Hours? Days? Years? She had no idea. Dammit, she barely knew who she was; she did not know anything else.

She straightened up when her lungs stopped agonizing. Her head suddenly turned to the right, as if pulled by invisible strings, and she faced a door. But it was a different door. It was not gray, like all the others: it was bright red, like the petals of a beautiful rose, and it stood out in that place where everything seemed to be colorless, dark and dull.

She didn't need to look at it for more than two seconds before realizing – _feeling_ it was not locked.

Hesitantly, she reached for the knob. Her pulse had slowed down and her breathing was steady again. She was calm, but worried about what would happen next, what she would find at the other side of that red door. She tried to pluck up courage, to be brave, but didn't succeed. Anxiousness was eating her up.

Finally, she pushed the door open, and she was blinded by an extremely bright white light. She closed her eyes, rightly protecting them from the blinding light, as she opened the door wider and stepped in. Behind her eyelids, everything was pink, and millions of tiny white stars adorned the surface.

Suddenly, the pink was replaced by black. The light had been turned off, or perhaps it had died out. Slowly, she opened her eyes, only to find herself in a small, dark room filled with beautiful furniture: a small coffee table on the middle surrounded by two leather couches; a tall, wide bookcase filled with books sitting against the wall; what appeared to be a very elegant and old-fashioned desk; a wood chair with tall back. The dark, mysterious beauty of the place left her breathless.

The room was semi-dark; she could only see because of the silver moonlight entering through the window at the right. Said window was open; a gentle breeze made the transparent curtains dance to an exotic, silent rhythm. She stepped forward, towards the window, and looked outside. She noticed she was in the second store of the house, because from there she could only see the peaceful night sky, a dark blanket covered by hundreds of stars and a huge full moon, and the crown of several medium-height trees.

How had she gotten there?

Her pulse quickened again, and she breathed the pure night air in to calm down. Exhaling, she turned around and started to walk towards the door, but she did not take more than two steps before something suddenly blocked her path.

A person stood in front of her. She was facing a flat, muscular chest, which clearly belonged to a man. She hadn't seen him there before; he just appeared out of nowhere, or so it seemed. Slowly, she gulped and raised her head to look at the man's eyes, to find out who this person was, if he was dangerous and she should run or if he was harmless and he could help her out of that creepy place.

Her eyes met the darkest eyes she'd never seen before. She couldn't even see his pupils. They reminded her of coal and of the night sky. His skin was pale like snow, and his hair, falling messily over his forehead and temples, and sticking out under his ears, caressing his neck, was as black as his irises. His lips, thin and pink and soft-looking, and his nose, straight and small and perfect, and his jaw line, manly and seductive and delicate...

He was beautiful.

The corners of his lips were pulled upwards, as she stared at him, amazed. His smirk slowly melted into a smile and then into a wide grin.

And then his white, straight teeth were uncovered. They looked perfect but normal at first, but then, under the dim light the moon offered her, she noticed his fangs... and the blood soaking them.

A scream filled with horror, shock and despair rose up from her stomach, through her throat, and escaped through her lips. Then, everything turned as black as the irises of the young man in front of her, and she started to fade away.

* * *

><p><span>Notes<span>:

Well, this is my new story. I've been wanting to write a SasuSaku fic about vampires for a very long time (check out my story The Beauty and the Beast, in case you don't believe me ;D). However, I don't mean to write another cliché story, because I despise clichés, even though I enjoy some. I will do my best to make this interesting and something I'd enjoy to read.

If you've read me before, you've to know this will be different from my other stories, because, well, it won't be about teenage drama or fairies anymore; I want this story to be darker, in some way, to show I'm maturing as a writer (wow, I feel so professional). Expect some horror in this story, by the way! (Yeah, I've been reading too much Stephen King :s)

Oh, and one more thing: I don't have a beta writer, so I'll edit my own stories, and since English is my second language, there might be a few mistakes (hey, I'm not perfect, okay! D:) I don't want a beta, though, because, well... I like to edit my own stories because it's fun :)

Hope you found this prologue interesting and that it made you want to read more. Review and let me know if you loved it and now you're my fan or if you hated it so much you puked all over your keyboard. :D

_~tragedyneverends_


	2. The nightmare

**Chapter one**

_The nightmare_

She kicked, punched, bit, hit, growled, pushed, slapped... But he was holding her down. And he was strong; his iron-like grasp would probably leave bruises in her arms. However, she could not give up, she could not stop, because he wanted to bite her neck, to rip her skin off, to sink those horrible, hideous and disturbingly abnormal fangs into her, to suck her blood, to _eat_ her and _kill _her...

"Sakura! Sakura, wake up! You're dreaming! It's okay!"

That voice... It was female; it could not be his. So who was talking to her? Who was there, with her, holding her down, pushing her back against the bed...?

Bed. Blankets. Pillow. She was sleeping. Or, more specifically, she _had _been sleeping.

Dream. It had only been a dream. No, a nightmare. That had been a nightmare. _He_ had been a nightmare. And nightmares... were not real. It was alright.

So she stopped kicking, punching and everything else, and forced her tense muscles to relax, because there was no need to fight, she didn't have to defend herself, because no one was going to hurt her. She was on her bed, in her bedroom, in her house; she was safe.

And her cousin was with her. She was staring at her with wide dark-brown eyes, looking shocked and desperate. The hands holding her down, hurting her, were hers, not _his._ It was alright.

"Shizune...?" she managed. Her voice was hoarse; had she been screaming?

"Yes," the young woman in front of her said. "Yes, Sakura it's me. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, but..."

"But what?"

"Would you please let go?"

Shizune blinked confusedly and looked down at the grasping Sakura's upper arms tightly. She instantly let go, as if she'd been burned, and smiled sheepishly, apologizing. Sakura sat up, rubbing her painful skin.

"It's fine," she said. "I'm the one who has to apologize. I woke you up, didn't I?"

"That doesn't matter. What matters is that you were having a very ugly nightmare. You looked so terrified and desperate," she whispered, concern clear in her fine features.

Sakura gulped down the lump in her throat. "Really?"

Shizune's expression softened and she put a hand on her knee. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, and Sakura shook her head no. "Are you sure?"

"I... I am." She sighed. "Listen, Shizune, I'm very tired. Let's just go back to sleep, okay?"

After a few moments of staring at her thoughtfully, Shizune finally smiled and stood up from the edge of the bed. "Okay." She headed to the door and opened it. Before closing it behind her, she looked back at her cousin and said, "You know you can tell me anything, right? That you can trust me entirely and that I'll help you no matter what, because we're cousins."

"Yeah, I know it," Sakura replied, her smiling face lighted by the lamp on the night table at her left.

Shizune smiled one last time and then left. When her footsteps couldn't be heard anymore, Sakura sighed deeply, running a hand through her pink hair.

Tonight's nightmare had been the worst so far. It was like the tenth time she had it, a nightmare about the exact same thing:s a dark, gloomy house, a narrow corridor, many locked doors, a small, beautiful room with fancy furniture, the night sky adorned with stars, an enormous full moon, and a handsome boy with fangs and blood all over his teeth. But this time, however, it had been different. There two new things: the red door and the creepy grin on the boy's face. That last thing had been the one that made tonight's nightmare the scariest.

Why? Why was the dream changing? It already had been creepy enough; why did it have to turn even more disturbing?

"I need to see a psychiatrist or something," she murmured to herself. "This is not alright."

Sakura knew a doctor would find the solution to it, because she was sure the nightmares were caused by some kind of mental disturbance. They had started right after the accident she had a month ago; maybe she'd not only broken an arm, which had already healed, and gotten a scratch on the left cheek, maybe she'd hit her head too, but medicine could fix it, or maybe the event had traumatized he,r but some therapy would make it okay. Doctors could be able to help her. They had to be.

But she could not afford a doctor, not now. The only help she could get was Shizune's, who was about to graduate and become a psychologist, and that help would be for free. However, Sakura was not comfortable telling her about her nightmares. She considered Shizune her cousin, even though they were not blood-related at all, and she loved and trusted her as such, but she'd been living with her even since they were kids and she knew her: she knew Shizune would not leave her alone with it, that she would want to keep asking her about it, and Sakura _hated _to talk about it. She wanted to forget her nightmares, not to be reminded of them every second.

She sighed. There was nothing else she could do besides waiting and resigning herself. She could not get professional help yet, not when all their money had to be spent on bills, food and her aunt's hospital bills. Maybe, when this situation would be over, she would be able to afford a psychiatrist, but not before. Anyways, she was sure that her nightmares were temporary,

Or at least she hoped they were.

* * *

><p>Tsunade looked beautiful even when she was comatose. Her skin was paler than usual but it still looked smooth and flawless. She looked even younger; she looked twenty years old, while she looked thirty when she was awake, though she was actually forty five years of age (plastic surgery works wonders). With not a single drop of make up on her face and her blond hair pulled into a ponytail, Tsunade looked angelic laying on the hospital's bed under a blanket as white as the clouds of a sunny day.<p>

Oh, how she missed her. Sakura knew she was alive, but it didn't feel like it, because Tsunade's body was there, in the same room, and her heart was beating and her lungs were breathing, but her soul was somewhere else, somewhere she would never reach. Besides, she wanted to see her hazel eyes opening and staring right into hers, and her lips curling into a smirk, and her eyebrows pulling together when she got confused, and she wanted to hear her voice again _so_ desperately...

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she started to step towards the sleeping woman. There were two chairs at the right and a window at the left of the bed. Shizune opened the window to let some air in as Sakura sat on the nearest chair and took her aunt's hand.

"Hi, auntie," she said softly, squeezing, but, of course, Tsunade did not squeeze back. She would probably never squeeze back, but Sakura pushed that thought away; she really didn't like to cry in front of her aunt,even when she probably wouldn't see her, because she taught her to never show weakness, or at least to try not to. "We came to see you. I hope you missed us. We missed you."

Shizune sat on the other chair and put a hand on Tsunade's knee. "Yeah, we missed you a lot, mom. The house feels so lonely and empty without you there. And I don't cook as well as you do. Actually, I pretty much suck, but at least not as much as Sakura," she laughed.

Sakura smiled and elbowed her cousin softly. "We're doing our best, though," she assured. "This is Shizune's last year in the university. She's only a few months-"

"Six," said woman corrected.

"Yeah, six months from graduating and becoming a great psychologist. When she does, she'll be able to get a job in which she'll get well paid, or at least better paid that in the clothes store she's been working in."

"You must wonder how I'm doing there, mom," Shizune said. "It's fine, I guess. I wish they'd pay me more money, but I've just started last week. I should be grateful, actually, that I got the job and that it fits perfectly on my schedule and doesn't intervene in my school duties. And the owners are really nice to me, too. I'm very happy I found a job like that."

They paused for a moment, as if expecting Tsunade to open her eyes, smile at them and tell Shizune she's glad for her.

But she didn't, so Sakura cleared her throat and continued. She hadn't let go of her hand yet. "But there's a problem, auntie. Shizune's money is only enough to pay for her school and for food and the bills, but not for the hospital." She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, nervous. "So I want to get a job. Since I've already finished high school, it'll be alright. I'll start going to the university until next year, or until you wake up, which I'm sure will be soon. Med school can wait, you know? Paying the hospital is more important than it, anyways."

"I'm sure that if you could speak, you'd tell her how dumb that is," Shizune said, frowning. "Let me tell you that I'd completely agree with you. I can find a second job; it'll be hard, I know, but it is possible. Sakura has to go to the university, she just has to, but she doesn't understand that, or doesn't want to understand, actually. But... you know how she is, mom: I cannot change her mind, she is the most stubborn person in the world!" They smiled, but Tsunade remained expressionless, quiet and immobile.

"Well, that doesn't matter anymore," Sakura said. "I have taken a decision and I'm not going back now. I'm going to find a job to pay for your hospital bills, no matter what you, Shizune or anyone else thinks, because you are more important than anything else, auntie. This is a sacrifice I want to make for you, just as you made the sacrifice of adopting me when my parents died. Think of this as a token of my gratitude, okay?"

"Yeah, you don't have to worry so much," Shizune added. "She promised it'd be only a year, if you haven't woken up by then, anyways. It will be just a year, and I'll make sure of that. Besides, it won't happen anything if she starts going to the university only a year later. I'll take good care of her, mom; I won't let anything happen to my little cousin. I promise."

They didn't speak for a few minutes. The only sounds heard were the beeping of the machine assuring them the woman on the bed was alive and the sounds of the city outside coming through the open window.

Finally, Shizune glanced at her watch and sighed deeply. "I have to go," she told Sakura, raising to her feet. "Are you coming?"

Sakura shook her head, her green eyes still fixed on her aunt. "I'll stay here a bit more."

"Okay. You'll be looking for a job the whole day, right?"

"Yeah. I'll be home before twilight, though. You know I don't like to stay out too late."

"Okay, then I'll see you later." Shizune squeezed her shoulder and then leaned down and kissed Tsunade's cheek. "Bye, mom," she whispered. "I love you and miss you. Please wake up soon, alright?"

A minute later, Shizune was already gone, leaving Sakura alone in the room, still holding her aunt's hand. She stayed like that, as quiet and immobile as the woman on the bed, for several minutes, just thinking. She thought about how scared she was of working for the first time in her life. About how she wished she'd find a good job, where they'd pay her enough to pay the hospital bills and where people would be nice to her; a job like her cousin's, maybe. About how much she missed her aunt and hoped she'd wake up soon. About how unhappy it made her to go to the university until next year. About how uncertain she was about her and her aunt's future. About how unfair everything had been for her and her family.

About the gorgeous vampire from her nightmares and his creepy smile.

Sakura shook her head, pushing that last thought away, and let go of her aunt's hand. She had to stop thinking about the dream, about _him_. It was not real; _he _was not real. She'd never been in that creepy house, she'd never been in that room that amazed her so much, and she definitely had never met that guy she dreamed of. She'd never even met someone that looked like him, let alone a person with fangs like his or with his liking for blood. She'd never met a _vampire_. Hell, vampires didn't even _exist_; they were just legends, beings people created to scare the children, products of humans' imagination, just as that guy with eyes as black as a raven's feathers was a product of _her_ imagination.

However, real or not, he didn't let her sleep well last night, nor the others in this past month, and he still bothered her even when she was awake. He just seemed to refuse to leave her alone; he didn't want to get out of her head.

Sakura sighed deeply, folding her arms on the bed and burying her face in them. She was so tired. After Shizune left her room last night, she turned the lights off and decided to go back to sleep, hoping she wouldn't keep having nightmares. But, even though she felt exhausted, she was not able to close her eyes again, and she stayed awake until the sun rose.

She needed to sleep. Her eyelids felt so heavy, and her mind was clouded by tiredness... Sakura _had_ to sleep, at least for a few minutes.

And sleep she did. When she woke up, she glanced at her watch and realized she'd taken a two-hours-long nap, because it was eleven in the morning. Her stomach was growling; she hadn't eaten breakfast yet. So, even though she wished she could sleep some more, she stood up and, without a word, kissed her aunt's cheek and left the hospital, off to get something to eat and to start looking for a job.


	3. The miracle

**Chapter two**

_The miracle_

"Thank you," Sakura told the cashier and she turned around, holding a newspaper and a big chocolate muffin with a hand and a hot cappuccino with the other.

She was in the nearest coffee place to the private hospital her aunt was staying in. It was a nice, small place with modern paintings hanging from the walls and the delicious smell of coffee filling the air. She liked it because the chairs were very comfortable and because she could sit by herself without having to worry about being bothered, because most people went there to have a calm conversation, to do homework or to read a book. It was the perfect place for her, someone who loved calmness and coffee.

Sakura went to sit on the individual couch near the chimney. Since it was already midday, the coffee place was almost empty (the busiest hours were in the morning), but that was perfect; she needed peace and quiet right now. She opened the newspaper and started leafing through it until she found the Help Wanted section. Then, she started to read the classified ads, munching on her muffin every now and then and marking the ads she thought would be right for her needs with a pen she had found in her purse.

Half an hour later, Sakura sighed deeply and put the almost-empty container of her cappuccino on the nearest table. With her elbows resting on her knees and the newspaper in front of her, she glared at the ads she'd marked.

"Okay," she murmured to herself. "Let's see what we got here... A couple babysitters, three secretaries, a lot of cashiers, several receptionists, lots of waitress, two cookers and one maid."

She started analyzing each job. Babysitter? It would be good, since they got well paid because rich families were usually the ones who could afford them. But there was one big problem: she hated kids. Well, not really _hated_ them, because some of them were cute and everything, but... she just could not stand them for hours, especially if they were spoiled brats; she definitely couldn't. So this job was _rejected_.

Secretary? That would be fine too. She was good at remembering messages and liked to attend phone calls. Being secretary was not hard. However, they didn't get well paid, or at least not well enough, and they had to work too many hours, and Shizune wouldn't be happy with that. This job was _rejected, _too.

Cashier? Yes, that would be good. She just had to count money, smile at clients and know how to control the cash register. But she had the same problem with this job than with the last one: she would have to work for a lot of hours, and Shizune wouldn't allow it. So, this job was, sadly, _rejected _as well.

Receptionist? Same problem as cashier. _Rejected_.

Waitress? She'd get too exhausted. Besides, she was still too young and inexperienced, and she'd heard being a waitress was not very easy. _Rejected._

Cooker? She could barely make herself a sandwich! _Rejected_.

Maid? Well, she liked to tidy, to put everything in its place and to be in a clean house, but it would also be too exhausting. Besides, what if her boss tried to seduce her or something? She'd seen it in movies. _Rejected_.

Sakura leaned back on the couch and sighed sadly. She knew she was being too picky, but it was her first time looking for a job. To be honest, she didn't even _wanted_ to work. _But you have to, _she told herself._ You're doing this for your aunt. Don't be such a baby._

She decided to analyze the jobs once again, this time trying not to be so selective. When she was done, she ended up with four possible jobs: secretary, cashier, waitress and maid. From those, she ruled out the ones she disliked the most: waitress, because she'd really get too tired, and secretary, because it would probably be boring to organize someone else's life.

"So that leaves only you two," she murmured, biting the inside of her cheek. "Cashier or waitress... which will I choose?"

After a moment of pondering, she realized the answer to that question was more than clear. She took her pen to mark the many ads about cashiers, but before the pen even touched the paper, a loud shriek made her jump and snap her head towards the entrance of the small coffee place.

"Oh God, I'm so sorry!" a blonde girl exclaimed, her hands on her cheeks as she stared worriedly at the man in front of her. Sakura recognized her instantly: she was Ino, the loudest girl she knew and also her best friend ever since they were kids. "I'm so, so, so sorry, sir! I'm so stupid, I wasn't paying attention and – and I'm so careless! I'm sorry. Do you want me to buy you another coffee?"

The man looked surprised and angry. He had a big spot of what seemed to be coffee on the middle of his red shirt, and he was cringing in pain. It was not hard to guess Ino had been the person who made him spill his hot coffee all over himself because of being, indeed, stupid and careless, as always.

"Why don't you get me a new shirt instead?" the man asked the girl through gritted teeth. He was angry, but he spoke lowly, perhaps trying not to make a scene.

Ino's blue eyes widened. "Oh, you're right! I'll tell you what: I'll go buy your shirt and then come back and buy you another coffee, alright? Don't go anywhere, sir! I'll be right back!" With that, she turned around and ran out of the coffee place, leaving everyone puzzled.

A brown haired girl had come in with Ino and had been standing right behind her, her arms folded across her chest and an amused smirk on her face. Sakura recognized her instantly, too: she was TenTen, her second best friend ever since they started high school.

The man turned to TenTen, his face a mask of disbelief. "Was she serious?"

Her smirk widened. "Oh yeah, she was. She'll be back in five minutes, so I recommend you to sit down, wait and be happy you ran into her and not into a less stupid person."

"But... but she doesn't even know my size!"

"She's good at guessing sizes," TenTen assured, and then she turned and started heading towards the area Sakura was.

However, she hadn't gone there with the intention to join her at first, and that was clear when their eyes met and TenTen seemed surprised to see her there. "Oh, Sakura!" she exclaimed, grinning. "What are you doing here?"

Sakura showed her the newspaper. "Picking jobs. And you?"

"Well, Ino came to my house early in the morning and dragged me here," the brunette explained as she took a seat on one of the other individual couches near. "She said she really wanted to drink the coffee they make here today, and she wanted me to come because she thought she'd look like a loser if she came by herself." She sighed tiredly. "I don't know why I'm even friends with that girl."

"Sometimes, I ask myself the same thing," Sakura said, grinning. "So, since you're already here, aren't you going to have something?"

"I let Ino drag me here because she said she'd buy my drink, so I'm waiting for her." TenTen raised an eyebrow and smirked. "You really thought I'd come only because I'm a good friend?"

Sakura laughed and proceeded to show TenTen the ads in the newspaper she had marked as her possible future jobs. She explained to her why she had rejected the others and selected only one of them.

"Cashier?" the brunette asked, and then she shrugged. "Well, I guess it'll be alright. It'll leave you kind of tired, thought. You have to be on your feet, behind the counter, for long hours, and sometimes they don't even let you pull a chair and sit, not even when the store is empty."

Sakura decided to believe her. After all, TenTen had been living by herself even since she was fifteen, when she could not stand her abusive father anymore and decided to leave him and build a new life away from her first home, and she had worked before. She had had a hard life, even after she escaped from her father. She lived a couple weeks on the streets until she was adopted by a random person, who turned out to be a very rich, powerful and nice man who had felt sorry for her.

TenTen's story reminded Sakura a lot of Shizune's, who, with ten years of age, had escaped from her orphanage and lived on the streets for a few time too until Tsunade found her and decided to adopt her. However, TenTen's story was more different after the adoption, because her adopter, some dude named Minato Namizake, bought her an apartment and let her live alone, because TenTen liked to be independent and didn't want to bother him and his family. She'd also decided to work in her free time so that he wouldn't have to spend too much money on her. Shizune, on the other side, was treated by Tsunade as if she were her real daughter: she housed her and paid for everything she needed, like school and clothes, and Shizune didn't complaint at all, probably because she was too happy someone was treating her so well; after all, she'd had a harder life than TenTen, because she'd been very poor and an orphan for all her life.

But the point was that TenTen, being as independent as she'd always been, had experience when it came to jobs. Perhaps she could even help Sakura out if something went wrong... or maybe she even had contacts that could help her find a very good job!

She was just about to ask her about that when they heard Ino's voice from the entrance, and they both turned their heads to watch the blonde hand a bag of the closest clothes store to the man she'd spilled coffee on, who looked utterly astonished. Ino smiled brightly at him and then started heading towards her friends. When she saw Sakura, her eyebrows shot upwards. Apparently, she hadn't known Sakura would be there, either. It had all been a coincidence.

"Sakura! What are you doing here?"

"Just wanted to be somewhere quiet and peaceful to search for a job in the newspaper," the pink haired girl replied, smiling.

"Well, I really wanted a coffee from here. I loved it the last time you brought me! So I got my sweet friend TenTen to come with me." Ino winked at the brunette, who just rolled her eyes. "Oh, Sakura, but it's so great we happen to find you here! I have something really important to tell you. I was planning on telling you later, but seems like destiny wants you to know it sooner!"

"Really?" Sakura asked, surprised. "And what is it?"

Ino glanced over her shoulder at the man, who was registering the bag she'd given him. "Well, I'll tell you, but first let me buy that guy the coffee that I promised him and my own coffee, which I'm yearning for so much! Oh, and what will you want?" she asked TenTen.

"A frappe will be fine," she replied, smiling proudly.

"Okay. Wait up here, Saks, don't go. What I have to tell you is really important, okay? I'll be right back!"

Sakura watched her best friend go. It was useless to deny she was not feeling extremely curious. What would Ino want to tell her? What could be so important? Perhaps there was a great sale at their favorite boutique? If so, Sakura would have to sadly deny going with her, because she did not have the money or the time for shopping, not until she found a good job... _if _she found it.

Ino came back a couple minutes later with a cappuccino and TenTen's frappe. She sat on a couch besides Sakura just as TenTen said, "Look. Seems like you've made someone's day, Ino."

They followed the brunette's gaze towards the man exiting the coffee place. He was wearing a brand new shirt, held a coffee on his hand and seemed very pleased. Ino laughed. "Well, you know how I am, I love making people happy."

"You sure do," Sakura said, and then she gulped down what was left of her cappuccino. "So," she continued, putting the empty container on the table, "what's that you have to tell me, Ino?"

"Oh!" The blonde put her own cappuccino on the table and straightened up. She looked at Sakura with wide eyes and a mischievous smile. "You will never believe what happened. Well, first of all, I have to apologize, because you told me not to tell anyone about your decision of not going to the university to get a job, but I told my parents. Sorry."

Sakura rolled her eyes and sighed. "Whatever. But what does that have to do?"

Ino's excited expression came back. "Well, when I told my Dad, he said he didn't agree at all, but he knows nothing and no one will make you change your mind, so he decided he might as well help you out. You know, because of his position in the company, he has a lot of contacts, and he pulled some strings and _voila!_ He got you a very good job! You'll get paid two hundred thousand yens per day with an eight-hours-long daily shift, and you'll get free food there!"

Sakura's eyes widened. For a moment, she was speechless as TenTen excitedly exclaimed, "Holy crap, are you serious! That's, like, a lot of money!" and Ino squealed like a little girl who has just gotten a new toy.

"Oh my God," she finally breathed out. "That's... that's... yeah, a lot of money. If I'll get two hundred thousand yens per day, then per week, if I work six days a week, I'll get... like a million yens!"

Her friends squealed loudly, calling some people's attention, but Sakura barely noticed that: she was just too shocked. _A million yens per week_, she kept repeating mentally. That would be perfect to pay for the best service for her aunt! And she'd even have enough to help Shizune out with the bills! Hell, she'd even have money to go shopping! Her heart was fluttering in her chest. She wondered if she was dreaming.

_I can't be dreaming, _she thought as she started to laugh._ I never dream cool stuff like this, not ever since the accident. My dreams are always nightmares about the vampire and the creepy house. My reality is better than my dreams!_

However, her laughter started to die out when she remembered something: Ino hadn't told her what the job was about.

"Ino," she called, and the blonde stopped squealing to pay her attention. "You haven't told me the most important stuff. The salary is great and everything, but... what is the job about? Who will I be working for?"

"Oh, I forgot that! Well, you'll be working for a very rich family: the Uchihas. The father is the president of the company my Dad's company is teaming up with to destroy that other company that's causing them troubles. My Dad knows Mr. Uchiha and he told him about your situation, and since Mr. Uchiha is supposedly like, super nice, he told him you could work for him, in his house, and that you'd get very well paid."

"But what is the job about, Ino?" Sakura demanded desperately. If the job was something she didn't like, her hopes would be crushed and she'd have to look for another job, and it would be hard to find one in which they'd pay her as much as they'd pay her in this. "What does he want me to do?"

"To be his maid," Ino replied with a smile. Sakura's body froze. "Well, not actually his, more like the family's maid, but he'll pay you so he'll be your boss. You'll see, he has like a mansion because he's rich as hell, and he has a big staff of maids and butlers and that crap, but some of the maids got fired for stealing, and he needs more to clean the house, do the laundry and stuff."

Sakura snapped out of her trance and gulped, running a hand through her hair. A maid? That had been her second option for a job. She liked to clean and to order the mess, but wasn't being a maid too exhausting? And what if Mr. Uchiha seduced her? She'd seen a lot of movies about the maid having an affair with the boss and stuff; she was scared.

_A million yens per week Sakura. It is perfect!_

_Yes,_ she replied to her mental voice, _it _is _perfec_t. She could pay her aunt's bills, help her cousin out, even buy herself some stuff if she wanted to! She asked herself what her priorities were, and when she had the answer, she sighed deeply and smiled at Ino.

"Okay," she said. "Okay, I'll take the job."

Ino and TenTen squealed in delight and Sakura joined them.

"Awesome!" Ino exclaimed. "We'll be working as maids!"

Sakura paused. "We?"

The blonde nodded happily. "Three maids were fired. We can take their places!"

"You mean I can get paid that too?" TenTen asked. "Holy shit, that's great!"

"But – but wait!" Sakura said. "What about school? Aren't you guys going to the university? Don't tell me... don't tell me you'll wait for next year too just because you don't want me to be alone or something!"

"What? No, it's not like that! I _will _go to school," TenTen said. "But I'll be working too. It's always been like that, anyways: I study _and _work. Besides, it's the perfect job, and this is an opportunity I can't let go. It's a million yens per week, baby!"

Sakura turned to her other friend. "But what about you Ino?"

"Sakura, I still don't even know what I want to study for," she replied. "You want to be a doctor, TenTen wants to be a teacher... but_ I _have no idea. It's just such a hard decision; my future literally depends on it! So I think I'll take a year to clear my mind and relax until I can finally decide what I want to study for in the university. Meanwhile, I want to have a job to know how being independent is and start getting used to it. Besides, as TenTen said, this job is perfect and we can't let this opportunity go!"

"But... but..." Frantically, she searched for something to say to object. "But are you sure you want to be maids? It means cleaning, doing laundry, washing dishes and more stuff you're probably not used to, especially you, Ino."

The blonde chuckled. "It'll be alright, Sakura. Stop worrying so much and let us do what we want to. Actually, you should be happy. I mean, we're going to work together for the first time! Isn't it awesome?"

Sakura sighed deeply and leaned back on her couch as TenTen started to ask Ino more about the job. She heard the conversation, but didn't pay attention to it, being too deep in thought. _Ino is right, _she told herself._ You _should _be happy you got a great job and your friends did too. This really seems like … like a miracle._

* * *

><p><span>Notes<span>: Come on, don't be shy and review. It's free! :)


	4. The Uchiha mansion

**Chapter three**

_The Uchiha mansion_

"A maid?" Shizune asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sakura nodded. "I know it's not the easiest job I could find, but I'll get very well paid, Shizune. Do you know what we can do with more than a million yens per week? We can even move aunt Tsunade to a nicer room! And you wouldn't have to work so hard or to worry, because I could pay for the bills and food with my money. This is the chance of a lifetime, and I will leap at it."

Her cousin stared at her for a moment. Finally, she sighed deeply and continued washing the dishes. "You're right," she said, her dark gaze fixed on the plate she was scrubbing. "It is the chance of a lifetime. But..." She looked up at her. "I don't want you to strain yourself out. You're still too young; you should be in the university instead of looking for a job. I feel like the worst big cousin ever letting you do this..."

Her eyes started to water and Sakura put a hand on her shoulder. "Shizune," she whispered as the woman turned the faucet off and wiped her wet hands with a cloth. "I understand how you feel. But this is my decision; I am the one who wants to do this, you're not forcing me to anything. And you're not a bad cousin. You're actually the best I could've gotten."

Shizune laughed, wiping her tears. "You just say that because you want me to take you to the interview tomorrow."

"Maybe," Sakura replied, smiling.

"I was planning on taking you, anyways. I want to know where that Uchiha mansion is in case something happens and I have to pick you up or something."

"Great. Thanks, cousin." Sakura hugged her briefly and then started to walk away. She paused at the kitchen's door way and glanced back at Shizune, who had turned the faucet on again to continue washing the dishes they had eaten dinner on. "You know? I won't go shopping if I have any money left. Instead, I will save it to buy my own car. I'm already eighteen and I really need it, you know?"

"Good idea," Shizune replied. "But you'll have to take driving lessons first, okay?"

"Deal," Sakura said, and then she turned around and went to bed.

* * *

><p>She was not surprised to be back in that dark corridor as soon as she drifted off to sleep. Actually, she was kind of starting to get used to it, and every time she dreamed this she felt less and less scared and more and more bored. Her traumatized mind needed to come up with a new nightmare real quick.<p>

This time, Sakura was not running. Instead, she was walking calmly, her bare feet soundlessly stepping on the carpet, her pulse steady and calm. She was not desperate, not anymore, because she knew that there was no need of it because, in this place, she would never find an exit, and that all the doors at her sides were locked, except for the red one, which she didn't find yet.

With her fear gone, Sakura was able to notice more things about the dream. She realized she was wearing a dress, and the cloth caressing her skin felt soft, like cotton. She could feel her arms bare and the hem of the dress brushing her knees. In the darkness, she couldn't see how it looked like, but she had a feeling that it was really pretty. She also noticed something cold and heavy resting on her chest, right between her breasts. She reached for it and felt it was some kind of stone hanging from a chain around her neck. Sakura wondered why she was wearing that necklace and if it meant something in this strange nightmare.

Suddenly, she came to an abrupt stop and her head was turned to the right by some kind of invisible force, so that she would be now facing that bright red door. Her quiet mind registered for the first time that it was not bright red: it was scarlet. She didn't know if there was a difference between the colors, but she just had a feeling that "scarlet" suited the door better.

_And also scarlet had been the blood on his teeth_, Sakura realized, and the thought made a shudder run up her spine. She ignored it all and, without even giving herself a chance to start to get nervous, she turned the door's knob and made her way into the familiar room.

Nothing had changed. There were the same furniture, the same semi-darkness, the same curtains, the same silver moonlight entering through the window. Slowly, Sakura closed the door behind her without even noticing what she was doing and stepped towards the window. The same night sky, the same full moon... Everything looked the same as the last time. She stood in front of the window for longer than the last time and breathed in, closing her eyes, enjoying the air purifying and refreshing her lungs.

When she exhaled, she felt him appearing. He had come out of nowhere, just as the last and all the other times. But this time, Sakura didn't show herself surprised. She did not even move, let alone acknowledged his presence. She just... waited.

She heard him step closer, she felt his hands, which turned out to be very warm, on her waist, and she felt his breath on the left side of her neck. _He's going to bite me_, she thought, but she was not scared; after all, this was a dream, this was not real.

_He_ was not real.

She sighed, relaxing her body, and waited for the pain to come, for his abnormally sharp fangs to sink into her skin, for his tongue to lick her blood and send it down his throat.

But the pain never came. She felt his mouth coming closer, his lips pressing against her skin, and his mouth opening... but his teeth never sank into her; he never bit her.

Instead, he kissed her neck softly and vanished in a blink of an eye.

Baffled, Sakura turned around and desperately searched for him in the small room lighted by the dim moonlight, but she found herself alone. He had just gone in the same way he had come. _This is something new,_ she thought. _But... why does this keep changing? Why is the dream the same but a different one every night? _

She sighed, not knowing how to answer any of those questions, and instead decided to look down at herself and appreciate the dress and the necklace under the moonlight. The dress was white, strapless and tight around the waist but loose below the hips. It was knee-length and had lace patterns around the hips and on the hem. She loved it. Then, she reached for the necklace and held the stone in front of her eyes. The chain seemed to be gold, and the stone looked like a red diamond... no, like a ruby. It was a ruby.

A scarlet ruby.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Sakura was surprised she had slept like a baby the whole night. Her only dream ended right when she saw the ruby hanging from her neck, and after that, she slept peacefully. When she woke up the next morning at eight in the morning, she felt as rested as she'd never felt in the past month. Shizune noticed how fresh she looked, and asked what had caused it.<p>

"No nightmares," was all Sakura said, and that had been enough to explain it all.

Indeed, her dream had not been a nightmare, because she had not been scared. Her nightmares, very probably, were over, and she could not be more happy. First she found a great job, and now she stopped having nightmares? It seemed like good things were starting to, finally, happen to her. Destiny was starting to be fair again.

Her interview was at nine thirty, and, according to Ino, the Uchiha mansion was at the outskirts of the city, and that was half an hour from Sakura's house, which meant she had an hour to get ready and have breakfast. She put on her best clothes: a nice pink blouse Tsunade had bought her a couple months before their accident, a white skirt right below the knee and a wool sweater of the same color of the skirt. Also, though she didn't use to, she put make up on, and, after brushing her shoulder-length pink hair, she went downstairs, to the kitchen, where Shizune was waiting for her with a special breakfast.

"Wow," Sakura breathed out when she saw the food on the table, her green eyes wide. "You... you really are awesome, Shizune!"

Shizune smiled proudly. "Well, sit down! We don't have time to stare at food. In twenty four minutes we need to be leaving. Let's eat!"

Sakura nodded and did as her cousin said. She ate her pancakes and her plate of fruits and drank her glass of orange juice. It had basically been a normal breakfast, except for the way Shizune had adorned the plates, the food and the table. She'd put ice cream and strawberries on top of the pancakes, used Tsunade's best porcelain plates, and had even put a flower in a small vase on the middle of the table.

"Today is a special day," Shizune said. "So I wanted to, you know, wish you luck in this way."

"Thank you, Shizune," Sakura said. "It's really nice of you."

When they finished eating, they washed the dishes together, carefully putting Tsunade's elegant plates on its place. After that, they hurried out of the house and into the car, and Shizune drove her to the outskirts of the city.

It was not hard to find the Uchiha mansion, because it was the only house by the road that led to the closest neighbor city. It was sitting among the woods and its own entrance, as if it were an independent town away from the city. Sakura hadn't expected less; after all, the father was the president of a company of the size of the company Ino's father worked in.

"We're here for a job interview," Shizune explained the guard at the entrance.

"Oh, the maids," he said. "Are both of you going?"

"No, just her. I'm just dropping her off."

The guard let them in and Shizune drove slowly through a path surrounded by trees. Sakura watched them through the window and had some sort of deja vu. She'd seen those trees before, but she could not remember where. Were there some like them near her house? Maybe, but she didn't think so.

The road was approximately twenty meters long and ended in some sort of roundabout with a fountain on the middle. The mansion stood at the other side of the fountain, flanked by more of those familiar trees, and when Sakura saw it, she couldn't help but murmur a, "Wow."

"These people sure are rich!" Shizune said when she stopped the car right in front of the steps that led to the mansion's entrance. "Well, Sakura, I'm already late for work, so..."

"Oh! Yeah, sorry." Sakura unlocked the door, opened it and stepped off the car. She closed it behind her and leaned down and into the window. "Um, Ino will take me and TenTen home. If we get the jobs then I¿ll probably be home later than usual, because Ino will want us to go celebrate it somewhere. So I'll see you later."

Shizune smiled. "Okay. Good luck, Sakura. Don't be nervous. Just show them how awesome you are and they'll instantly hire you."

"Thanks," Sakura said, smiling back, and then stepped back and watched Shizune's car go. When it was out of sight, she turned around, took a deep breath and started climbing the steps.

* * *

><p>"My name is Mikoto Uchiha," the woman standing in front of them said, a friendly smile on her beautiful face. "You can call me Mrs. Uchiha. You seem very nice girls, but so did the maids we just fired, and they weren't. So, just in case, I'll be keeping an eye on you, okay?"<p>

"It's alright, Mrs. Uchiha, we understand," Ino replied.

The woman's smile widened at Ino. "Oh! You must be Inoichi's daughter, Ino. You look a lot like him! Except that you're prettier, of course." Ino giggled. "So, I already know your name," Mrs. Uchiha continued, and then she turned to the other girls, "but what about you? I already introduced myself, girls. It's your turn."

Sakura glanced at TenTen, who was looking away. She didn't seem like she wanted to be first, so Sakura decided to start, "My name is Sakura Haruno. I, um, I'm eighteen years old and, uh, I promise I won't... I won't steal anything," she finished awkwardly. Mikoto's beauty made her kind of nervous.

"Very well," Mrs. Uchiha said. She turned to TenTen. "And you?"

"I'm TenTen Namizake. I'm also eighteen, and I'll be good too."

"Namizake?" Mikoto Uchiha repeated, surprised. "Are you related to Minato Namizake?"

"He's my adoptive father," TenTen replied, clearly uncomfortable. Sakura knew she was like that because it still seemed weird to her to call herself that man's adoptive daughter and to have his last name when she had another father, her real father, somewhere else.

"Oh, I see." Mrs. Uchiha pushed a lock of dark hair behind her ear. The action made Sakura notice something: she had dark-brown eyes that looked almost black, black hair and pale skin... just like the young man of her dreams. They also had very similar features. _But it's just a coincidence_, she told herself. _Stop thinking about him._

Afterwards, Mrs. Uchiha gave them a short tour around the house. It had four stores and every one of them left them amazed. The first one, where the entrance hall, the kitchen and the dining hall were, made Sakura fall in love. She liked the dining hall a lot, because it had that kind of long table with thousands of chairs, but what she liked the most was the entrance hall: its walls were painted a pale shade of blue, its elegant furniture seemed to be from the last century, the floor was marbled, there were paintings of gorgeous landscapes hanging from the walls, heavy chandeliers hanging from the ceiling... It made her realize why the maids got so very well-paid: these people sure were rich.

The kitchen looked like the one of a restaurant; it was big and, at that moment, a handful of people were working on cooking lunch for the Uchihas. Mrs. Uchiha introduced them to the cook and the head kitchen maid. "These are Sakura, Ino and TenTen," Mikoto introduced. "They may be the new maids. I'm giving them a tour around the house."

The cook and the head kitchen maid welcomed them friendly and then they left. When they were climbing the stairs to the second floor, TenTen asked Mrs. Uchiha, "Um, excuse me, why is there a head kitchen maid? I mean, what is the difference between her and maids like us... I mean, like the maids we want to be?"

"Well, since we have multiple maids employed, every one is assigned a different kind of job," the dark haired woman explained. "The head kitchen maid is like the second cook; she helps the cook out with formal meals and prepares plain and simple things, like snacks, for us. You saw the other three people with them? Well, they were all maids, too. They were under kitchen maids; they help the cook and the head kitchen maid out doing things like peeling vegetables and serving the meals on plates."

"Are there many more maids?" Sakura asked.

"Not too many. If you get the job, you'll meet them all very soon."

In the second floor, there were Mr. Uchiha's office, which door was currently closed because the man was working inside, a large living room with a very tall bookcase filled with books, and a study, where Mrs. Uchiha's sons, who were both home-schooled, studied.

"How many kids do you have, Mrs. Uchiha?" Sakura asked.

"I have two sons. I think they're both in the study now, but I'll introduce you to them later. They're my babies, even though the younger one must be of your age and the older one is already engaged." She sighed sadly. "They grow up so fast, don't they? Anyways, let's continue."

As they walked up the stairs, Ino whispered, "I hope the younger son is hot and single."

Sakura just rolled her eyes, not surprised her friend was thinking about that. However, she couldn't deny she hoped so too.

The bedrooms were in the third floor, but only the ones for the guests. Mrs. Uchiha said there were, in total, eight guest rooms, and she showed them one, telling them they all looked the same, anyways. She invited the girls to step in and look around. Sakura liked the room; it had a bed, a window, a wardrobe, a dressing table and a small bathroom: all the necessary. _I wouldn't mind to be a visitor and stay here for a night,_ she thought.

"We have these because sometimes we have a lot of visitors," Mrs. Uchiha was explaining. "Family comes over frequently. Anyways, we're almost done, girls. Just one more floor."

They turned to exit the room, but Sakura froze in place when she caught glimpse of the window's curtains. They were transparent and almost brushed the carpet covering the floor... and they looked familiar. But where? Where had she seen curtains identical to these ones?

Suddenly, she remembered: they were exactly like the curtains from her dream, the ones the night air coming through the open window made dance seductively. And the trees outside, the ones that had made her have a deja vu... they were identical to the trees which tops she could see from the window in her dream.

"Sakura?" Ino asked, standing at the door way. Her voice brought Sakura back to reality. "Coming?"

"Yeah," she said breathlessly, hurrying out of the room.

As she followed her friends and Mrs. Uchiha to the fourth and last floor of the mansion, she wondered if this was a coincidence or if this mansion was actually the creepy house from her dreams. That last thing could not be possible, because Sakura had never been there before; why would she dream about it? She told herself she was just being paranoid and that the trees and the curtains were just really weird coincidences.

Besides, she hadn't seen the narrow corridor, or the scarlet door, or the vampire yet, had she?

"Our family's bedrooms are in this floor," Mrs. Uchiha explained. "Our rooms are larger than the guest rooms, of course. Mine and my husband's is to the right and my sons' are to the left. Besides my room, there is a small room where I practice my favorite hobby: designing and doing clothes. My brand will come out soon, by the way; if you see it in the stores, you better buy at least one of my skirts," she joked, making them smile. "Anyways, my husband told me to take you to his office after the tour was over, so let's go, shall we?"

They accepted and followed the older woman to the second floor. The office's door was still closed, but Mrs. Uchiha opened it without even knocking. Before stepping inside, she glanced at the soon-to-be new maids and said, "If you get the jobs, never do this, okay? You have to knock the door, especially the one of my husband's office, understand?" Sakura and her friends nodded, and Mikoto smiled pleasantly and stepped in, opening the door wider and motioning them to follow her in.

Inside, they found exactly what Sakura had expected to see: a room with a large window, which was covered by dark curtains, a large wooden desk, thousands of books in tall bookcases, and a man in a black suit sitting on a comfy-looking chair behind the desk.

"Hi, honey," Mikoto greeted happily. "The tour is over. These are the three new possible maids: Sakura Haruno, TenTen Namizake and Ino Yamanaka. TenTen is Minato's adoptive daughter and Ino is Inoichi's daughter." _And Sakura is a nobody,_ Sakura thought, and smirked bitterly. "Isn't it funny?"

The man sitting at the desk put the papers he had been reading down and looked up at the girls. Sakura noticed he had the same eye and hair color as Mikoto, but that was all they shared; their features weren't similar at all, and his skin was slightly darker than hers. He looked like the kind of important executive one shouldn't mess with.

"Good morning, girls," he greeted, smiling politely. "Please take a seat." He nodded towards the three chairs at the other side of the desk.

Mikoto turned at them and smiled reassuringly, as if telling them that it was okay, that her husband didn't bite. "I'll be leaving now," she said, and then she added for the man, "I like them, Fugaku. If you hire them, I'll be happy."

"I'll keep that in mind," Mr. Uchiha assured, and then the woman left, leaving the girls alone with their possible soon-to-be boss.


	5. The vampire

**Chapter four**

_The vampire_

"You must be aware of the reason why we fired the maids you'll possibly replace," Fugaku Uchiha started as soon as the girls were seated. "They seemed nice women and they did a very good job for almost a year. However, something must have happened, because they suddenly had the need to get even more money from us, so they decided to steal some of our belongings. I hope that, if that same thing happens to you one day, you'll hold yourselves back."

"Don't worry, Mr. Uchiha," Ino said. "We're not that kind of people. Besides, with the salary you'll give us will be more than enough."

"I want to trust your words, Miss Yamanaka," the man replied. "But I'm quite skeptical, so, instead of saying it, show it."

They were quiet for a few seconds until TenTen asked softly, "So... does that mean we're hired?"

"I believe it does," Mr. Uchiha said.

Sakura had to bite her lip to keep herself from squealing out of happiness.

"Really?" Ino asked.

"Yes, but, as my wife has probably already told you, we'll be keeping an eye on you, not just because our trust in young maids has decreased, but because you are young and inexperienced. I'll give you a chance only because you seem hard-working, but if you fail to meet my expectations, I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to quit."

"And what are the expectations you want us to meet?" Sakura asked lowly.

"You'll see, as you've already noticed, there are different kinds of maids in this house. The maids you'll replace were a parlor maid, a chamber maid and a laundry maid. If you are a parlor maid, you must clean living areas, serve tea in the afternoon and tidy studies and offices; if you're a chamber maid, you must clean and maintain bedrooms and ensure the chimney; and if you're a laundry maid, it's quite obvious you must maintain bedding and towels and wash, dry and iron clothes. Is that clear?"

The three of them nodded. "But I have a doubt," TenTen said. "Who will be what? I mean, will we be able to choose if we want to be the parlor, the laundry or the chamber maid, or you'll tell us?"

"That is my wife's responsibility," Mr. Uchiha said, smirking. "She'll know which title to give each of you. You can go to her now, if you wish. I think she's in the study now, with our sons."

Hesitantly, they rose to their feet, thanked the man and headed out of the office.

As they calmly walked towards the study in that same floor, Ino exclaimed, "We got the job! Oh, and Mr. Uchiha said Mrs. Uchiha was with the sons? Oh, great! Finally, we'll meet the probably hot and single younger son!"

"Did you bring a camera?" TenTen asked Sakura.

"Uh, no," she replied confusedly. "Why?"

"Too bad. If the dude is a fat nerd with an acne-filled face, I would've wanted to take a picture of Ino's face when she saw him."

Sakura laughed and Ino glared at the brunette.

"Hey, what do you girls want to be?" Sakura asked when she stopped laughing.

"Any one except the laundry maid," Ino said. "I _hate_ washing clothes."

"The parlor one seems fun," TenTen said. "If I get to serve tea, maybe I can take a cup of it every day."

They stopped in front of the closed door of the study. Sakura raised a fist and knocked twice. "Coming!" Mrs. Uchiha said from inside and they heard her quick footsteps approaching before the door opened. She looked at them and smiled brightly. "He hired you, didn't he?"

"Yeah," TenTen said, smiling back. "How did you know?"

"I can see it in your faces! Oh, girls, I'm so glad he hired you. Between you and me, I know you're good girls; I can feel it." She winked mysteriously and, before any of them could say anything, she smiled again and opened the door wider. "Come on in! My sons have just finished with their morning lessons. It's a perfect time to introduce you to them!"

The girls obeyed and Mrs. Uchiha closed the door behind them. Sakura looked around the room; it was big and it resembled a library, because, against two of the four walls, tall bookcases contained hundreds, maybe thousand of books piled up tidily. _A parlor maid would have to clean all of this, _she thought._ Well, I love books, but I think I rather to wash clothes. _

On the middle of the study, there were three desks right next to each other and a threesome of couches around a small coffee table. There were three men sitting on those couches, two of them on the larger one, and the other on the individual, with his back to them.

"Girls, this is Kakashi Hatake," Mrs. Uchiha said, nodding towards one of the men sitting on the larger couch, the one with white, spiky hair, the lower part of his face covered behind a black scarf and an eye patch covering one of his eyes. Sakura wondered if he was nuts. It was a warm spring morning; wasn't he hot?

"Hello," Kakashi greeted, waving his hand. Sakura thought his only visible eye narrowed at Ino for a second, but then she realized it had just been her imagination. "Who are these girls, Mikoto?"

"Oh, they are the new maids," the woman replied proudly. "They are nice people."

"I see. Pleased to meet you, girls. Which of you will be the new parlor maid?"

"I haven't decided that yet," Mrs. Uchiha said.

"Well, one of you will be it, so you have to know something: when you serve tea to me, which will happen frequently because I love tea, leave the cup half full only."

"Um, and why?" Ino asked confusedly.

"Because he's obsessive compulsive," the man with the long hair tied in a low ponytail sitting besides Kakashi said. He clearly was an Uchiha, and since he didn't look their age, he was the older son, the engaged one. Sakura thought it was a shame he was going to marry, because he was very handsome. He looked like a young version of his father, but he had his mother's soft eyes and friendly smile.

"That is Itachi, my older son," Mrs. Uchiha said, "and he was kidding, Kakashi is not obsessive compulsive; he's just... extravagant."

"Exactly," Kakashi agreed.

"And lastly, that rude boy who hasn't even acknowledged your presences is my younger son, Sasuke. Sasuke, honey, turn around and say hi to the new maids."

The guy on the individual couch sighed deeply and closed the book he had been reading. He turned his head and looked at them over his shoulder. "Hi," he said reluctantly.

"Hi," Ino and TenTen replied, but Sakura remained silent, because she could not speak, she could not move, she could not breathe...

Because that boy, Sasuke, was the vampire she'd been dreaming of every night ever since the accident.

There was no mistake. He had the same eyes, the same hair, the same skin, the same lips, the same nose... the same _everything_. It was him, and Sakura could bet her life on it. Even if he looked like he didn't know her, or if he seemed confused as he watched her panic, she was a hundred percent sure it was _him_.

Her ears were ringing and she felt light-headed. She was barely aware of Mrs. Uchiha stepping towards her and putting a hand on her shoulder, saying, "Sakura? Sakura? Are you okay? Oh God, she looks so pale... Itachi, what is wrong with her?"

Her friends were calling her name too, and, from the corner of her eye, she saw Itachi and Kakashi quickly standing up and approaching her. More hands touched her shoulders, but she barely felt, saw or heard. The only thing in her mind, in her eyes, was him, Sasuke.

_It's him, _her mind screamed. _Oh God, it's him! He's real! This cannot be possible... This cannot be happening... It just can't!_

Suddenly, something blocked the view she had of him. A face. Itachi's face. "Miss, look at me, please," he said, and Sakura obeyed confusedly. He examined her for a few seconds and then turned to his mother and said, "She's about to faint. Bring a chair."

"Sasuke, bring that chair over there," Kakashi ordered.

"Why do I-?"

"_Now,_ Sasuke." Mrs. Uchiha's voice had never sounded so stern before, at least not in Sakura's presence.

Ino moved Itachi away and stood in front of her. "Sakura, what happens?" she asked desperately. "Did you not have breakfast? Are you passing out because of the hunger?"

"I... I ate well," Sakura managed.

"Are you sure?"

"She looks like she's seen a ghost," TenTen murmured from behind her, and Sakura thought, _No, not a ghost. A vampire._

And then, just like that, she fainted.

* * *

><p>When she woke up, the first things she saw were the transparent curtains, dancing loosely as the air entering through the window pushed and pulled them. She wondered if she was back in her dream, but then she thought it was more probable that she was in one of the guest rooms, that someone had carried her there after she passed out.<p>

As she sat up, Sakura cursed herself for passing out. Not only did she make a fool out of herself, she also caused trouble to Mrs. Uchiha, who had been so good to her and her friends. _Weak, _she scolded herself. _You're so weak, Sakura. You should've controlled yourself. Now you've bothered that nice woman. You're so stupid..._

But it had not been her fault. Fainting was to most reasonable thing to do in the situation she had found herself in. Who wouldn't have done the same? She'd seen the boy she'd been having horrible nightmares about, for God's sake; it was not something that could happen everyday.

Sighing, she got off the bed. Her feet were bare, just like in her dreams, and when they touched the carpeted floor, she realized that carpet had been the same she'd been stepping on in her dreams. _So this is it, _she thought._ I haven't seen the scarlet door or the small room with beautiful furniture, but this really is the house I have been dreaming of. This is not a coincidence. I'm sure of it._

Sitting on the edge of the bed, her feet caressing the carpet under them, Sakura wondered why this was happening, _how_ this was happening. She was completely sure she'd never been here before until today, so why did her subconscious brought her here in her dreams? How had she known this place actually existed? It made no sense at all.

Sakura got to her feet and straightened her clothes. Then, she started looking for her shoes. She found them right beside the door, and just as she leaned down to pick them up, the door of the room opened. Sakura straightened up to see who it was, and when she saw him, she gasped. It was Sasuke, but it hadn't been the sight of his face what made her stomach tighten with fear.

It had been the fact that he was holding a glass of scarlet liquid.

She quickly stepped away from him, horrified, but she tripped with something and fell on her butt. That didn't stop her, though; she continued crawling away from him until her back bumped against the bed.

"What's going on?" he asked confusedly, and when she saw his teeth, she saw them stained with scarlet liquid – with blood.

"You – you're the vampire of my dreams!" she breathed out. "You definitely are!"

"_What?_" He looked at her as if she were crazy; maybe she was. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

"You are a vampire!" she insisted. "Why else would you be drinking blood?"

Sasuke glanced at the glass on his hand and rolled his eyes. "It's not blood, you fucking retard. It's tomato juice!"

Sakura froze. "What?"

"Tomato juice!" he repeated. "Look, I just came here because my mother ordered me to see if you were awake, and you are, so bye." With that, he turned around and left, slamming the door closed. As he walked away, Sakura heard him murmur something about not believing his parents had hired a psycho like her.

Slowly, she stood up from the floor and put her shoes on. She made the bed, because she had already caused enough trouble, and then left the room to look for Mrs. Uchiha. She went to the first floor and asked a random maid where the woman was, and the maid told her to go to the living room in the second floor. Sakura thanked her and headed back upstairs.

The living room's door was open. Shyly, she stepped in and looked around until she spotted Mrs. Uchiha sitting on a red leather couch, leafing through a book resting on her lap. When the woman saw her, she closed the book and her dark eyes, the same eyes as Sasuke, as the vampire of her dreams, widened.

"Oh... there you are!" Mrs. Uchiha exclaimed, standing up from the couch and walking towards her. "Are you alright, Sakura?"

"Yes, I'm fine," she replied. "Uh, how long was I asleep?"

"Less than an hour." She eyed her carefully. "Are you sure you're feeling better? You still look kind of pale."

"I'm okay, don't worry. I, uh, I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble, Mrs. Uchiha, and thanks for taking care of me. I think I'll be leaving now..."

"Why?"

"I just think I need to rest. I don't want to pass out again."

"Okay... Is someone picking you up?"

Sakura thought for a second and then sighed deeply. "No. I was going to leave with Ino and TenTen; Ino brought her car. But they'll be staying for some more, aren't they? I guess I'll have to call a taxi..."

"Are you sure you really want to go?" Mrs. Uchiha asked, concerned. "I still have to tell you what kind of maid each of you will be, and I wanted you to start learning the basic about your duties so that you can come to work tomorrow."

Sakura thought for a moment, and then finally shrugged. "Well, I guess I'll stay, then. I'm feeling okay now, anyways."

"Great!" the woman exclaimed, smiling. She looked at her sweetly for a few moments, making her uncomfotable. Sakura was just about to ask her what was going on when she said,"You know? I think you just need to eat something. You look too skinny, darling! What about having lunch with us before leaving?"

"I... I don't know. Would it be fine with your husband?"

"Sure! He knows you're a good girl."

Sakura smiled gratefully. "Okay, then. Will my friends stay, too?"

"Of course!" Mrs. Uchiha seemed enthusiastic. "I left them with the Housekeeper and she gave them a more detailed tour around the house and introduced them to the other maids. Don't worry, she told them about you too, so the staff knows your name but not who you are," she giggled. "You'll have the chance to meet them all personally later, though; it's okay. Anyways... They must have finished already, so why don't we go with them? Perhaps they're trying their uniforms on right now."

"Um, about that... How much will the uniform cost? And are we going to wear the same uniforms as the other kitchen maids?" Sakura hoped she said yes to that last question, because she liked them. They consisted on a long sleeved, knee-length dark blue dress with a v neck and a white apron tied around the waist. She thought it was cute.

"Yes, and don't worry, we'll give them to you for free."

"Really?"

"Really! You really thought we'd make you buy them?" She laughed. "We have plenty of them, Sakura. As long as you take good care of them and give them back when you stop working here, they're all yours."

Sakura smiled happily and then followed the woman to the first floor. As she walked, she thought about how nice Mrs. Uchiha was, and how different her younger son seemed to be from her. Sasuke had inherited her beautiful, fine features, but his personality seemed to be more like his father's. Sakura barely knew the boy, but he really seemed to be as dangerous and powerful as Mr. Uchiha. She wouldn't like to mess with him.

But she already had. She'd called him a vampire and accused him of drinking blood. However, he was definitely not a blood-drinking being; he was as human as her, and Sakura had just made a fool out of herself. She felt so ashamed and stupid...

_It was not my fault, _she thought, frowning._ He just looks so much like the guy of my dreams... He's identical! Well, no, not identical. He doesn't have sharp fangs... or at least I haven't seen them. But... what if he does have them...?_

She shook her head. Sasuke Uchiha was _not_ a vampire. She didn't know why she dreamed he was, but some questions in life could be left unanswered forever, right? Besides, did it really matter? Her nightmares weren't scary anymore, anyways, and she had the feeling that they would soon be over.

Actually, she realized, they already were. She had been asleep just a couple minutes ago, and she didn't remember dreaming anything. She slept dreamlessly; the nightmares were finally over.

_Or at least I hope they are_.


	6. The lunch

**Chapter five**

_The lunch_

Mrs. Uchiha led her to the kitchen. Inside, the kitchen maids and the cook were giving the final touches to the lunch. A delicious smell of food filled the air, and Sakura's stomach growled.

"Oh, hungry, aren't we?" Mrs. Uchiha asked as they walked towards some kind of back door in the kitchen Sakura hadn't seen before.

"Uh, yeah. How did you know?" she asked confusedly. Did her stomach really growl loud enough for the woman to hear even with all the noise in the room?

"Well, you look hungry," the dark haired woman replied, smiling, as she pushed the back door open. Sakura stepped inside after her and the door closed with a soft click behind them as Mrs. Uchiha explained, "This is the maids' room. They don't live here, of course; only the head butler, the chauffeur and the Housekeeper actually live in the mansion, and they sleep in the guest rooms. The other staff that stays here only for the hours of their shifts leave their things in this place."

Sakura looked around the room. It was not very big, but it was not small either. There were lockers against the walls with long benches in front of them. In the further corner, there were two doors; one had a letter that said **LADIES** and the other had one that said **GENTLEMEN**. They were bathrooms.

"They change clothes in there," Mrs. Uchiha commented, nodding towards the bathrooms. "You know, take their clothes off and put their uniforms on, and vice versa."

In that moment, the door of the ladies' bathroom opened and Ino and TenTen came out. They were not wearing the maids uniforms, but they had wide grins on their faces and seemed excited. Sakura guessed they'd tried them on and liked them.

"Oh!" Ino exclaimed when she saw Sakura. "Sakura! Good to see you're finally awake."

"Are you feeling alright?" TenTen asked as they approached her.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Sakura replied, smiling, wondering if she'd worried them a lot.

"She just needs to eat something," Mrs. Uchiha said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "So, why don't you all to stay and eat lunch with us?"

"Oh, that would be nice," Ino said. "I hope it wouldn't be a bother if we do."

"No, it'll be fine. My husband will be okay with it, and so will my sons... Well, I have my doubts with Sasuke, but don't worry, he's cranky, but he _fears_ me."

Laughing, they headed back to living room to wait for the lunch to be ready. As they walked, TenTen and Ino filled Sakura in with the things they'd learned while she was asleep. They explained her about the different kinds of maids the Housekeeper had explained them about.

There were kitchen maids, as Sakura already knew; in the mansion, there was only one head kitchen maid, who directly helped the cook out, and five under kitchen maids, who helped out too but with smaller, simpler assignments. There were two parlor maids, three laundry maids, and two chamber maids, and the three of them would be an addition to that staff.

"We'll be house maids," Ino explained. "The head house maid will be kind of like our boss. She reports directly to the Housekeeper, who's like the staff's major boss; she reports directly to Mr. and Mrs. Uchiha."

They proceeded to comment her about the three scullery maids in the house. They washed the dishes, scrubbed the floors and helped out in the kitchen sometimes. They did the harder work, and got less paid.

She was also told about the other staff besides the maids. There were three butlers and one head butler (who was like the Housekeeper but male and in charge of the male staff), two cooks and three footmem (who were like male maids). There were also two gardeners, but they were absent unless their services were requested, which only happened once a week, when the grass or the bushes needed to be cut.

"You're missing two types of maids," Mrs. Uchiha said. They were in the living room already, sitting on the couches. "The Lady's maid and the Nursery maid."

"The Lady's maid?" TenTen asked. "I think the Housekeeper didn't tell us about her."

"Oh, really? Well, she's like my personal assistant. She helps me out with my things and travels with me."

"And the Nursery maid?" Ino asked.

"Oh, well, we don't have one anymore, so she doesn't actually count. She stopped being needed when my Sasuke became a teenager. My baby boys don't need a nanny anymore," she murmured nostalgically, but then she smiled brightly. "Oh! But when Itachi gets married and becomes a father, we'll need a Nursery maid again to take care of his children. Oh, I'm so eager for that moment... I like kids so much; I should've had more."

"I like kids too," TenTen said. "I'm hoping to work in a kindergarten when I graduate from the university."

"Oh, that's so nice!" the woman exclaimed happily.

"Excuse me," a voice said from the room's door, and they all turned to see a maid standing at the door way. "Lunch is ready, madam."

"We'll be there in a moment. Thank you," Mrs. Uchiha said.

When the maid was gone, Ino asked shyly, "Uh, will we have to call you madam too, Mrs. Uchiha?"

"Of course," she replied, standing up. "We're being casual now because you're not working. We can be friends when you're not working, but when you are, I'll be your madam, not Mrs. Uchiha. Now... I'm getting hungry. Let's go, shall we?"

* * *

><p>Sakura was munching on the inside of her cheek nervously. She was forcing her eyes to stay fixed on the empty bowl in front of her, because Sasuke was sitting right in front of her, and she didn't have the courage to meet his gaze; actually, she wondered if she would ever have it.<p>

Everyone else at the table seemed to be a having a good time, though. Ino and TenTen were telling Mikoto about how much they liked the maids uniforms and how good they looked on them, while Itachi and Mr. Uchiha were having their own private conversation about some men that were coming over the next weekend. Sasuke remained silent, sipping from that damn tomato juice that looked so much like blood, but even though he was not speaking, he did not seem uncomfortable, or at least not as much as Sakura.

A minute later, a couple of kitchen maids came from the kitchen. One of them was carrying a big, black pot and the other was holding a wooden spoon with a hand. They stood behind Sakura and she watched as the one carrying the pot took its lid off and the other sank the spoon inside. The spoon came out a second later carrying some sort of thick, green liquid, which the maid poured into Sakura's empty bowl.

"The starter of today's lunch is broccoli soup," the maid with the spoon announced as they scooted over to stand behind Ino and serve her the soup too. "Enjoy."

When the maids came back into the kitchen, the people at the table took their spoons and started eating. Sakura hesitated at first, not used to that kind of soup. It just looked so weird, so thick and green and... Was it broccoli? It seemed to be. But was it _really_ broccoli soup? What kind of sick person made a soup out of _that_ vegetable!

"Come on, it tastes good," Ino said lowly from besides her. Sakura turned to her and saw her smirking. "This is a common course in Europe, and it is very liked there. I know it looks weird and everything, but give it a chance. You'll like it; trust me."

Sakura turned back to her bowl and sighed deeply before starting to eat it. As soon as the strange liquid touched her tongue, her eyes widened. She pulled the spoon out of her mouth, took a napkin and pressed it against her lips.

"How was it?" Ino whispered.

"It was... delicious," she admitted as a maid came from the kitchen carrying some plates with cut bread on them. She put them on the table and then left.

"Try it with the bread," Ino told her, taking a piece of bread. Sakura watched as she soaked it with the soup and then bit it, and decided to try the same thing.

When they finished their soups (Sakura liked it so much she was the first one to finish), a couple of maids came and took the bowls into the kitchen. A moment later, a foursome of maids came carrying two plates in each hand and left each in front of each person seated at the table.

"The main course is roasted salmon and salad," a maid announced. "Enjoy."

And enjoy Sakura did. She got only three small pieces of salmon, and she loved it so much she wanted more but, of course, she didn't ask for other piece; she didn't want to look too needful. When they all finished, the maids took the dishes back into the kitchen.

"And finally, as dessert, vanilla ice cream sprinkled with powdered chocolate and chocolate cookies the cook personally prepared," the same maid as before announced lastly as the other maids put a small bowl with the dessert in it in front of each of them. "Enjoy, please."

When they finished eating the dessert, Sakura could not be more full. "Is every meal like this?" she asked Mrs. Uchiha.

"Yes," the woman replied, smiling at her. "I know it seems too formal, but we like it this way. Don't worry, though; any of you will be needed here during the meals. Only kitchen maids serve the dishes and everything. Oh, and you'll eat in the kitchen. This table is only for the family, not for the staff."

Sakura nodded. She wondered why the family was so... formal, indeed. So... last-century. According to her, rich families these days did not have such a big staff and the people who cleaned and cooked for them didn't need to wear uniforms or to be as formal as to call the lady of the house "madam". They also didn't live in such old-looking and elegant mansions; they lived in mansions with the ultimate technology and pools and stuff, so... what was up with the Uchihas? Perhaps they just liked to be old-fashioned; perhaps they just needed to modernize a bit.

Sakura sighed and turned her head away, towards the front, forgetting Sasuke was there, and she almost gasped when their eyes met. Green clashed against black, and her pulse quickened. She felt herself fading away from the dining hall and entering her nightmares again. Her mind was clouded by the memories filled with confusion, fear and frustration, until Mikoto's voice brought her back to reality.

"You should be leaving now. I'm guessing you'll want to go out and celebrate you got the job, so I don't want you girls to go back home too late. Tomorrow, come at ten o'clock in the morning, not a minute earlier, not a minute later. Bring comfortable, yet formal shoes, preferably black. We'll have your uniforms ready when you get here tomorrow, so you'll change here. Come in casual clothing in which you can change when your shift is over. Oh, and make sure to bring a sweater or something, because it gets cold at night and I don't want you to get sick."

The girls nodded obediently, making mental notes to remember all of those instructions.

"But, Mrs. Uchiha," TenTen said, "you haven't told us what kind of maid we'll be yet."

"Oh, that's right!" The woman rose to her feet. "I had forgotten about that! Well, I will tell you in the entrance hall. Let's go."

Sakura and her friends rose to their feet as well and, after saying a quick good bye to the Uchiha males and thanking Fugaku for hiring them, they followed Mrs. Uchiha to the entrance hall.

"Okay," the woman said when they got there. "This was a hard a decision... but I think I managed to make the right choices. Sakura," she turned to said girl, "you will be the parlor maid, because I didn't want to give you a hard work since you seem to easily faint."

Sakura wanted to object, to explain to her that she did not faint easily, that it had actually been the first time she ever fainted, and that she passed out only because of the shock of seeing her younger son. But Mrs. Uchiha would want to know why her son shocked her, and Sakura could not tell her the truth if she did not want to be taken to a mental hospital.

So she just nodded, faked a smile and said, "Okay. Thank you very much, Mrs. Uchiha."

"You're welcome." She smiles back and then turned to TenTen. "TenTen, I think you'll be perfect to be the laundry maid. I noticed how well ironed and washed your clothes are, and since you live alone, I'm guessing you did it yourself."

"I did," the brunette replied.

"Well, then you're perfect for the job." Mrs. Uchiha turned to Ino. "And you, Ino... you know what's left."

"Chamber maid," Ino said with a smile.

"Exactly. It was the only one left, but I think it still suits you perfectly. You seem to be a very tidy person; I noticed that by the way you were eating your lunch. You'll be a great bed-maker."

"Thanks a lot, Mrs. Uchiha," the blonde said. "We're really happy we got the job."

"You are good girls," she replied. "You deserve it."

Momentarily, Sakura wondered why the woman kept calling them good girls. How would she know? Everyone hid secrets. Sakura had never murdered anyone, but she was not a saint, either; she'd gotten drunk, smoked, even consumed drugs once during her last high school year. She was not good, or at least not as much as the woman seemed to believe.

However, she didn't say anything. She decided to let Mrs. Uchiha believe whatever she wanted. What harm would it do?

* * *

><p>When the girls left, Mikoto came back to the dining hall. The maids had already cleaned the table and she could hear them washing the dishes in the kitchen. Her husband and sons were still there, sitting at the table, as she'd expected. Sasuke seemed bored as he stared at his half-empty glass, while Itachi and Fugaku conversed casually.<p>

"You weren't too talkative during the meal," she said as she sat at Fugaku's left, who sat at the head of the table, with Itachi at his right.

"I'm not good at chatting with women," Fugaku said.

"I didn't know what to say," Itachi defended himself.

Mikoto turned to her other son and waited for his excuse. "I just didn't care," he finally said, shrugging. "They seem stupid."

"Sasuke, you know how much I hate that attitude," Mikoto scolded.

"But they do, mother. Especially the blonde one. What's up with her wanting to be a maid? She's one of us. No one of our kind should do that kind of job."

"She just wants to know how it feels like, to experience all kinds of things," she lied.

"Well, like I said, that's stupid."

"I have to agree with Sasuke on that, mother," Itachi said. "It is quite senseless."

"Well, let her do whatever she wants to do," Mikoto said, annoyed and secretly uncomfortable. "Besides, it isn't as if it affects us. Actually, exactly because she's one of us, she'll do her job very well." Suddenly, she remembered something. "Boys, why don't you go prepare for your evening lessons now?"

"But they don't start until five," Sasuke said.

"Doesn't matter. Your father and I have something important to discuss. Now, go."

Her sons obeyed, clearly confused she was shooing them away to talk with their father in private. Ever since they left childhood behind, Mikoto had stopped sending them away to have private conversations with her husband because now they were young adults and they could understand.

But this time it was different. They could not hear what they were going to talk about. For the first time in years, they were keeping a secret from their sons.

When they had left, Fugaku calmly asked, "What is it, Mikoto? Does it have something to do with the new maids?"

"Of course it has something to do with the maids!" she hissed. "With Sakura, to be more specific."

"You are surprised, aren't you? You cannot believe she is Hikari's daughter."

"Actually, I can." She sighed sadly. "She looks a lot like her. It's like a young Hikari with green eyes and pink hair...! She reminds me _so_ much of her my heart aches."

"We are in a great danger, did you know?" Fugaku asked lowly, taking her hand. "She is a half breed. She is... illegal. Her parents are gone, but she is still here, and though she's been safe thanks to the Yamanakas for more than a decade, they'll come back for her sooner or later. And if we're involved with her, if we're giving her shelter, we might be in danger, as well."

Mikoto knew that very well. She knew she was risking her own and her family's safety by getting involved with that girl. However, Sakura Haruno was not just any girl. She was her best friend's daughter and, because of that, she was dear to her, even though she barely knew her. Sakura was like her niece. She could not abandon her. She had to protect her.

"I know," she finally replied, squeezing his hand gently. "But I don't think there's much to fear. It's not probable that they are still looking for her. They must think she's already dead. I thought she was, as well, until a few days ago. But even if they do know, I want to take the risk. She is a good girl, Fugaku, and I want to help her because of that, too. A lot of bad things have happened to her, but she keeps fighting. She is like her mother: she never gives up."

* * *

><p><span>Notes<span>: I know it's starting to seem kind of boring, but this is just the start. Things will get more exciting in the future :)


	7. The new nightmare

**Chapter six**

_The new nightmare_

She was having a nightmare again, but it was a different one. She was not running through a narrow, dark corridor in the Uchiha mansion, but through a labyrinth of tall bushes as walls, under a gray, cloud-less sky. But there was something weird about the bushes. Its leaves were not green, as she'd expected them to; they were scarlet...

Like blood.

The strange color of the bushes just made her panic increase. She kept running as fast as she could, hoping she would get away from those horrible leaves. But they were everywhere, at every corner she turned, at every dead end she met. They were chasing her.

But they were not the only things chasing her. There was something or someone else following her, hunting her down, thirsting for her blood and carving for her flesh. She was trying to get away from it/them, but she had the sad feeling that it was impossible to get away, that she was trapped in this exit-less labyrinth.

There was no escape. The thing/person was getting closer, and she was getting tired. Her legs were giving their final steps and, sooner or later, they would start agonizing and she would have to stop and just wait for her death.

The wind was furious. It slapped her left side with such a force that she almost staggered. It made her intent of escape even harder. Everything seemed to be against her. Everything seemed to want her dead.

And the scarlet leaves watched every step she took, silently laughing at her.

* * *

><p>Sakura woke up with teary eyes and stiff paths of tears crossing her temples and ending on her pillow. The only thing she could think about for a moment was that her nightmares were not over, not yet; that the time she'd slept dreamlessly when she passed out had been nothing but a cruel coincidence.<p>

After she managed to calm down, she stayed immobile in the darkness, taking her surroundings in. She was in her bedroom, in the same bedroom she'd slept in for fifteen years and ever since her parents died in a plane accident and Tsunade adopted her. She remembered the first time she stepped into the room, the way she'd made no comment about the pretty, girly furniture or the pink walls or the dozen of toys on the floor, and the emotionless way she'd asked her aunt if her parents were never coming back from the trip they'd taken to Europe.

"No, honey," aunt Tsunade had said, her eyes watering and a small, sad smile on her face, as she stood at the door way. "They are not. Their plane changed its route and took them to heaven instead. I'm sorry."

A few years later, Sakura had thought that that had been the most subtle way to tell a three-year-old girl that her parents had died in a plane accident, and she admired her aunt for coming up with that.

The thick darkness in the bedroom seemed almost alive, and the shadows in the corners of the ceilings forced her mind to play her games and her eyes to see things that were not there. Sakura pulled the purple covers over her head and sighed deeply. She had a headache; perhaps she'd cried in her sleep too much.

Memories of her nightmare kept coming back to her head, and she allowed herself a few moments to analyze it. It was a new nightmare, a different one. The vampire, the one who looked so much like the younger son of the family she was going to start working for in a few hours, didn't appear this time, and she had a feeling that he would never come back. That made her happy, but she also felt slightly, and oddly, nostalgic, as if she was going to miss him a little. In fact, in a way, she _was_ going to miss him, because she suddenly preferred to dream about him than about that horrible labyrinth and those terrifying scarlet leaves.

Before, she had jokingly thought that her subconscious better came up with a new nightmare, since the one about the vampire was not scary anymore. Now it seemed that her subconscious had finally come up with something new, and it had done a very good job: this nightmare had been the scariest she'd ever had since the one she had when she was eight about a monster coming out of her closet, ripping her eyes off and eating them.

Suddenly, she didn't want to think about it anymore, so she forced herself to think of something, anything, else. She thought about her new job. Today was her first day; she would start working in only... She glanced at the clock on her bedside table. It marked seven fifteen a.m. That meant she would become a parlor maid in less than three hours.

She wondered how it would be like to be a maid. She would have to serve tea (half-full cup for Mr. Hatake, she'd have to remember that) and cookies, clean and tidy the entrance hall, the living room, the study and Mr. Uchiha's office. They were easy tasks, as Mrs. Uchiha had said, and she didn't exactly complained. The only thing she didn't feel too enthusiastic about was cleaning the bookcases. There were just so many books, so many places to clean... It'd be so bothersome. But it would be her job; she had to earn those million yens per week, didn't she?

Remembering the Uchiha mansion made her remember about her other nightmare, the one about the vampire... the one about Sasuke. Why was she not having it anymore? Did meeting Sasuke in person have something to do with it?

No, she would not start wondering. Those questions she was unable to answer just made her head ache. Her day was barely starting and she was going to start working in a few hours; she did not need a headache right now.

Sakura wanted to go back to sleep, but she couldn't. She was now fully awake. So she got off the bed and, trying not to wake her cousin up, who didn't work today, she took a shower and started to get ready for her first day of work.

* * *

><p>Ino took a bite of her waffle and smiled. When she swallowed it, she said, "Wow, Dad, I had no idea your waffles tasted so good!"<p>

"Before meeting your mother, I lived alone, so I had to cook for myself," Inoichi replied, smiling, before taking a bite of his waffle. When he swallowed, he said, "You're right, I'm good."

Ino's smile widened and she continued eating. After a moment of silence, she asked, "So why did Mom and my brother had to go to the dentist so early today?"

Her father shrugged. "She wanted to go today, and the dentist only had a free hour right now."

"Oh." She took a sip of her grape juice. "Well, that's sad. I wanted her to be here to wish me luck in my first day working."

"Hey, you have me. I can wish you luck too."

"Yeah, but a mother's wish of luck is different than a father's, Dad."

Inoichi laughed. "Well, I'll still wish you luck. Anyways, you didn't tell me what you thought about the Uchihas. Did you like them?"

"Mikoto is really nice, and Fugaku is, too, but he seems so... I don't know, stern, I guess; he scares me a bit. Their sons are okay. They're both hot. But don't worry, Daddy," she added when she saw her father's expression. "The older is engaged and the other is rude, so I won't be dating any of them any time soon. Besides, even if I come to like the single one, he still has to marry another person, does he not?"

"That's right. Sasuke is engaged to the Hyuga heiress ever since they were kids. It is our society's belief that, when they marry, the Uchihas and the Hyugas will become closer and finally get along, which will make a powerful alliance that may benefit everyone."

"Yeah, right," Ino murmured. Those kinds of topics about her so-called society bored her out of her mind. "But isn't it cruel? Like, they're practically _forcing_ them to marry. I bet they barely talk to each other. And even if they do, what if they're not in love? What if they love someone else? Well, you know what? That doesn't matter. Love doesn't matter, not for them. They have no other choice but to marry each other and spend the rest of their lives with a person they probably barely like. It is so mean... If you force me to marry someone, I'll kill you, Daddy, you hear me?"

Inoichi smiled. "It's alright, daughter. I would never force you to marry a man you don't love. You are free to marry anyone you want as long as he treats you well and loves you back."

"Even if he's a human?" the girl asked jokingly. "Or a werewolf, or a wizard?"

"Ino, don't make me choose between those options. You know I don't want to choose any of them. Besides, it is not so hard to marry and love someone of your own kind, is it?"

"It's not. I was just kidding, Dad. Humans are too weak and fragile, werewolves are disgusting and wizards have an ego of the size of Russia. I will definitely marry a vampire like me. I promise."

They proceeded to finish their breakfast in silence. When Ino was done, she stood up, left her dishes in the sink and kissed her father's cheek goodbye. As she took her car keys and started to head outside, her father called her from behind. She stopped and turned to him.

"I forgot to wish you luck," he said, grinning.

Ino grinned back. "Thanks, Daddy."

"Be good, Ino. And remember to take good care of Sakura."

Ino sighed. "I will," she assured, and then turned around, went outside, got into her car and went to pick TenTen up.

* * *

><p>The brunette, as punctual as always, was already waiting in front of the building she lived on for Ino to arrive. "Our first day!" she exclaimed as she got into Ino's car. "Are you excited?"<p>

"Not really," Ino replied, shrugging, as she pulled the car into the driveway and headed towards Sakura's house. Since Shizune didn't work that day, she didn't have someone to drive her to work, and she had asked Ino to do it. Of course, Ino had accepted. She didn't really had other choice, actually.

"Why not? It's the first time you'll work, Ino. I was excited on my first day working."

"Well, I'm actually more like concerned."

"Why?"

_Because of Sakura_, she wanted to say but, of course, she could not. Instead, she shrugged. "Nervous, I guess."

TenTen laughed. "Don't worry, Ino, you'll do alright."

The blonde sighed deeply. "I hope we all do."

* * *

><p>Sakura was of the size of TenTen. TenTen had commented that to the head house maid while she had been sleeping, and the woman had gotten an uniform for her based on that information. If her friend hadn't said it, she wouldn't have an uniform to wear on her first day, and that would've been embarrassing. She was thankful to TenTen for that.<p>

"I am so fat," Ino commented angrily as they changed clothes in the bathroom.

"You're kidding, right?" Sakura said as she tied her apron around her waist. "Ino, you even modeled for a few months less than a year ago. You're still as slim as always."

"But my uniform is size M!" she exclaimed, pouting. "And yours is size S! I'm big and fat and ugly!"

TenTen rolled her eyes. "You're such a drama queen. Ino, your uniform is bigger just because you're more curvy."

"Curvy! See? I'm fat!"

"Curvy means you got curves," TenTen explained patiently. "It means your boobs are bigger, your hips are wider. It means you're hotter. Happy?"

Ino grinned widely. "Yeah, happy."

Sakura laughed at her friends as the three of them exited the bathroom, dressed with their maid uniforms. Outside, the maids' room was filled with maids, butlers and footmen starting their shifts. The bathroom had been full, as well; luckily, it hadn't been small enough to feel claustrophobic. But this room was, so Sakura hurried her friends towards the door that led outside. She hated crowded places.

The kitchen was less crowded. There were only a couple maids talking to the cook as they washed the dishes from the breakfast, which had been served pretty early, at eight. Sakura had found out through her friends that the meals were strictly scheduled. Breakfast from eight to nine, lunch from twelve to one and dinner from five to six. She wondered why it had to be so organized, but didn't actually care enough to ponder on it.

"Where are we going now?" TenTen asked as they exited the kitchen. The table of the dining hall was being cleaned by a maid that didn't seem to be fully awake yet. "To Mrs. Uchiha?"

"No. To the head house maid," Ino replied. "She's our boss now, and Mrs. Uchiha is our madam. We shouldn't bother her."

"Okay, you're right," Sakura said. "But where's the head house maid?"

Before anyone could say anything else, they heard someone calling them and stopped to turn around. "Hey, newbies!"

"Oh, there she is!" Ino exclaimed happily. "The head house maid! We were just about to look for you, Ma'am."

"Well, here I am," the woman replied. She could not be older than fifty, yet her dark hair was already sprinkled with silver. Sakura thought either she looked too young for her age, or had a problem with early gray hairs. "You must be wondering what you're going to do now, huh?"

The girls nodded sheepishly.

"Well, first off, you'll split apart," the head house maid said. "The laundry maid will go with her fellow laundry maids, the chamber one with her fellow chamber maids, and so on. Who's the Laundry maid?"

"I am," TenTen said.

"Okay, the laundry maids are in the basement. The laundry machines, tumble dryers and other stuff are there. A couple laundry maids are already there, so go with them and tell them you're the newbie. They'll teach you all they know."

"Alright," TenTen said. "So, to the basement?"

"Yes. The door leading there is right next to the door that takes you to the garden at the back, and those are right behind the stairs. Good luck."

"Thanks. See you later, girls," she added for her friends, and with that, she turned around and left.

Sakura felt a small pang of nostalgia. Their first time working together and they were split apart... She wished they could be together. She'd feel safer, less scared.

"Okay, chamber maid?" the head house maid asked, and Ino raised her hand. "You? Alright, go to the third floor. Your fellow chamber maids must be changing the blankets of the beds in the guest rooms. Go help them. They'll also instruct you."

"Okay." Ino smiled at Sakura. "Behave, Saks, alright?"

Sakura smiled back. "I'll try," she replied, and then her friend hurried up the stairs.

"So you must be the parlor maid," the head house maid said when they were alone. Sakura nodded uncomfortably. "Okay. The other parlor maids don't arrive until noon, so you'll be alone for a couple hours. I guess that, since there's no one to instruct you and you must start working now, I'll be your guide, but only for today."

"Okay, thanks," Sakura said awkwardly. The experience in the head house maid's eyes made her feel small and stupid in comparison.

The woman eyed her for a moment until turning around and starting to walk away. "Being a parlor maid is not hard," she said as she walked, and Sakura, seeing she was still speaking to her, started to follow her. "I was one before I became the head house maid, and that was twenty years ago, yet it remains the same. You must already know what it is about. Serving tea to guests and to the Uchihas if they desire, cleaning living areas, studies and offices, and sometimes, if the staff is not enough, you'll be required to help serve dinner."

"Um, Mrs. Uchi – I mean, the madam said we would not be needed during meals," Sakura objected.

"And she was right. You're supposed to not be needed. However, in some situations, when there are not enough kitchen maids, as I said, you'll need to help. Why you, you may wonder. Well, because parlor maids are used to serve tea and cookies and other afternoon snacks; they have experience serving food: that's why. A scullery maid, for example, would not be fitted to do the job, because they only wash dishes, sweep and mop the floor and other things of the sort. You understand?"

Sakura nodded. The woman was leading her towards the entrance hall, and she was walking too slow for her like. However, Sakura didn't say anything; she didn't _dare_ to say anything. She had the strange feeling that, if she disrespected that woman, she'd be very, very sorry later.

"Okay, you'll basically work only on this and on the second floor," the head house maid explained to her as she sat on one of the couches. She motioned Sakura to sit next to her, and the girl obeyed. "You'll clean this entrance hall, make it presentable for any guest. You'll tidy the living room, the study and Mr. Uchiha's office; put everything in its place, make sure there's not a single particle of dust on the furniture or on the books, and, in the office's case, leave everything on the desk the same way you found it and, for any circumstances, do _not_ snoop around Mr. Uchiha's things, understood?"

Sakura nodded, wondering why she made that so imperative. After all, what would be so important and secret about a business man president of a famous corporation? Still, she didn't want to find out. Sakura had always been the type of person who doesn't like to get into people's business more than she liked people getting into her business.

"Very well," the woman continued, pushing a lock of graying hair behind her left ear. Sakura noticed the way she sat, with her legs crossed elegantly and her back perfectly straight. She looked more like a madam than Mrs. Uchiha did but, again, Sakura did not speak her thoughts at loud. "You will be needing brooms, mops, feather dusters, vacuum cleaners, cloths... and I believe that's all. You can find it all in the basement. The laundry maids also take care of those utensils to clean; you can ask your brunette friend about them."

"Okay," Sakura said.

"Make sure to clean, especially if you need to vacuum, when no one is present. Do not disturb the Uchihas, especially if the door of the room is closed. You have to always knock, no matter what, but, again, try not to disturb them unless it's something very important. You have to be polite about their privacy... When does your shift ends?"

"Um, it's eight-hours-long, so... I'll be working till six in the afternoon," Sakura replied.

"Lunch is at midday and dinner's until five. Between those meals, pick an hour to go offer them tea and cookies or some snack. Don't worry about the snacks; just ask them if they would want one, they'll give you the order, and then you'll pass it to a kitchen maid. Kitchen maids take care of snacks; you only serve cookies and tea."

"Pick an hour?" Sakura repeated. "Well... it would be perfect at three, since it's right on the middle between one and five, right?"

The head house maid smiled slightly. "Yes, that's good. So... I guess that is all. Tidy and clean the rooms when no one is present. Use the utensils in the basement; ask your friend for them. Respect the Uchihas' privacy; knock the doors and don't snoop around their stuff. Offer them tea and cookies at three in the afternoon and, if they ask you for a snack, just pass the message to a kitchen maid and she'll take care of it. Is everything clear?"

Sakura opened her mouth to say that yes, it was, but then she caught glimpse of something behind the head house maid. It was a flower in a vase sitting on the small table next to the couch. It seemed to be a tulip, a white tulip, but the beauty of it was not what made her froze in place: it was the fact that its leaves were not green, but scarlet.

Suddenly, she felt herself slipping away from her reality and back into her new nightmare. She saw herself back in that labyrinth, running desperately among walls of tall bushes with scarlet leaves, trying to run away from someone or something that she knew would eventually catch her no matter what she did or how far she went. She was trapped, she was doomed, she was helpless...

"Is everything clear?" the head house maid repeated, this time slightly louder. Sakura blinked a few times, slowly slipping back to reality.

"Yes it is," Sakura said with a forced smile.

"Very well." The woman stood up. "Now, before you start with your chores, follow me; I'll teach you how to serve tea."

Sakura stood up as well and started to follow her, not noticing her hands were shaking.


	8. The halfbreed vampire

**Chapter seven**

_The half-breed vampire_

Sakura sighed tiredly and cleaned her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand. Finally, she finished cleaning the damn living room! She had dusted the furniture and the bookcases (she had to use a ladder a footman brought for her so that she could reach the tallest places), vacuumed the couches, cleaned the windows, changed the curtains (they got changed every Tuesday) and swept and mopped the wooden floor. She'd started at eleven, after she had mastered the "art of serving tea", as the head house maid had called it, and finished at noon: it had taken her an hour, and she'd only cleaned this living room and the entrance hall.

To think of the fact that she would have to do all of that six days per week made her want to groan.

However, as she exited the room, she reminded herself that she was making two hundred thousand yens per day, a sum of money she would make in a week in any other job. Yes, it was a tiring job, but it could be worse; she could be a scullery maid: they got less paid and did more stuff, according to what her friends had told her.

Her friends. She wondered what they would be doing. TenTen surely was in the basement, and Ino... she was probably still working in the guest rooms; after all, there were eight rooms and only a threesome of chamber maids.

Sakura headed towards the study, which was right next to the living room, carrying the vacuum cleaner in one hand and a mop and a broom in other. The door was closed and she almost opened it before knocking, but then she remembered what the head house maid had told her, so she leaned the broom and the mop against the wall to free her hand and knock a few times. However, before her fist even touched the door, it opened almost magically.

But it all lost its magic in the moment Sakura recognized the person who had opened it.

"Oh," he said, raising his eyebrows. "It's you."

* * *

><p>Ino covered her nose and mouth and sneezed rather loudly. Then, she frowned angrily. She hated dust; it made her sneeze. But she hated even more to clean, because cleaning meant dusting things off. So why was she a maid, then? Why was she doing this?<p>

Oh, right. Because of Sakura.

_It is not fair,_ she thought as she continued cleaning the bedside table of the fifth guest room of the Uchiha mansion. Ino was not meant to be a maid; she was not born for it. She didn't clean: people cleaned for her. She was made to get her nails and hair done, to read fashion magazines, to shop clothes in the preppiest stores of the city. It sounded arrogant, she knew, but it was just the truth. Some people were good at cleaning, some people weren't, and she was one of that last group: end of story.

Yet, none of that mattered._ She_ did not matter. The only thing that ever mattered was Sakura Haruno. Sakura this, Sakura that, Sakura here, Sakura there. Ino was so sick of it, sick of having to let her priorities behind to take care of that girl. She didn't hate her or anything, because it was not Sakura's fault, but sometimes Ino seriously felt like killing her just to end all of that crap.

_But you can't, _she told herself, sighing. _You've been working, sacrificing yourself for her well-being during all these years. You're not going to waste all of that right now, are you?_

She continued cleaning furiously, deciding that, if it was not hers or Sakura's fault, then Ino's parents were to blame. After all, what kind of parents made their daughter take the kind of responsibility Ino had? Why couldn't they do it themselves and let her live? They made her waste all of her teenage years, for God's sake! Well... not exactly, because she did have fun in high school and everything, but she could've had even more fun if she hadn't had to be always keeping an eye on Sakura in case she awoke her vampire instincts!

However, what made her more upset was that it never happened. Ever. Sakura never awoke her instincts, not during kindergarten, not during elementary, secondary or high school, and Ino had just wasted her time. Sakura hadn't awoke them yet. The thought that she would never do it made Ino want to hurt someone because, if so, what was the point of doing all the things she did for her?

But she would awoke them, someday, or at least that was what the doctors of her society said. Sakura was a half-breed, a very rare kind, half human, half vampire, the result of a vampire mating a human. She was illegal, her society did not allow her to live. Yet, thanks to the Yamanakas, Sakura's mother's family, she'd managed to stay hidden and alive. Vampires didn't have much knowledge of half-breed vampires because they were not supposed to exist, yet alone to be investigated properly. However, it was well known that, unlike normal vampires, who were born even with fangs and needed blood as much as they needed breast milk in their early years, half-breeds seemed, lived and looked like normal humans until their instincts were awoken. How or when that happened, no one knew, but it was obvious it would happen sooner or later. Apparently, in Sakura's case it was happening later,_ very _later.

Ino was starting to fed up. She wanted to be free, to be able to do whatever she wanted without having to put Sakura's safety as her first priority, without having to follow someone around.

But there was nothing to do. She could not abandon Sakura. Her parents wouldn't let her but, also, she didn't have the heart to do that, not to her, because Ino was not only Sakura's best friend, she was also her cousin, though Sakura had no idea of it. Her mother was Ino's father's youngest sister. Because they were the same age, Ino's parents assigned her to watch out for Sakura and hide and protect her in case someone tried to hurt her or her instincts were awoken at the middle of a class or something. Ino had accepted because she loved her cousin and because it was the right thing to do. She was now a maid just because Sakura was one and she had to stay near her, and she'd lied when she'd said she didn't know what to study in the university, because Ino had always wanted to be an actress, even since she was little.

But, although it did annoy her, Ino had to admit she could not, did not want to, stop taking care of Sakura. She wanted to make those sacrifices for her, not only because they were family, but because Sakura was a good person that had been through a lot of shit, even if she didn't remember a single thing about her real past. She deserved to be taken care of, even if it was a really bothersome thing to do.

Ino sneezed again. Damn dust.

* * *

><p>Itachi scrutinized the girl in front of him. He hadn't expected her to be the person he'd felt approaching. She was the new maid, the one who fainted when his mother introduced her to him, his brother and Kakashi. Her wide green eyes were staring back at him, appalled. He was able to see the short blond roots of her hair, and was glad to confirm his suspicions about her dyed pink hair. Of course, no one had natural pink hair, at least not a human in this dimension.<p>

But this girl... she was an odd human despite everything. There was something... _off_ about her, as if there was something beneath her humanity. What, Itachi had no idea, but he was sure he was not imagining things. This girl was not normal at all...

Suddenly, his brother's words flowed into his mind. "That new maid, the pink haired one, she said something weird to me when mother sent me to see if she'd woken up after she fainted."

"What?" Itachi had asked, not really paying attention to his brother as he leafed through a book, sitting on a couch in the study. He had been too concerned about their parents sending them away to have a private conversation to bother about anything else, too distracted wondering what they were talking about, what they were keeping from them.

When Sasuke did not reply immediately, Itachi looked up and was slightly surprised to see his expression: his eyebrows pulled together, his lips pressed in a thin line, perplexity and frustration clear in his eyes."What?" Itachi repeated, his attention now fully focused on his brother.

"He called me a vampire," he answered, his tone implying he still couldn't believe he was saying that. "And said my tomato juice was blood."

Itachi had expected everything but that, yet he remained emotionless as he asked, "And well? Was it?"

"No, it was just tomato juice. I had drunk blood earlier that day. But that's not what matters." Sasuke finally looked up at him. "Was that just a simple coincidence or did she see or hear something that might have given me away?"

Itachi did not know, but he couldn't admit that in front of his younger brother; he would not give him that pleasure. So instead he asked, "Did she say anything else besides calling you a vampire and accusing your juice of being blood?"

Sasuke remembered for a moment. "No. But she said I was the vampire of her dreams. She's crazy, don't you think?" he asked, forcing a smirk.

After a long pause, Itachi replied, "I do," but he had been lying. He did not believe in coincidences. Besides, that pink haired girl which name he hadn't care to remember hadn't seemed to be crazy. She smelled weird, of course, but maybe it was just a strange perfume or something.

However, now, standing in front of her, Itachi realized that odd scent was not artificial; it emanated from her skin, it was her natural smell. And she smelled like any human he had smelled before.

Suddenly, he was starting to wonder if she was really what she appeared to be.

"Oh, I'm sorry, uh, sir," the girl started when she seemed to snap out of her shock. "I, uh, I was going to clean the study. I've already finished the living room and the entrance hall, so, um, I apologize for disturbing you. Now I'll go clean somewhere else."

"Don't bother," Itachi said. "I'm already done. You are free to clean the study."

"Oh? Well, okay, then. Thank you."

"My pleasure." He smirked lightly, moved aside and motioned the girl into the room. Awkwardly, she took her cleaning utensils and stepped in.

Before closing the door behind her, Itachi asked, "Excuse me, what's your name?"

The girl turned to him with her mouth agape, as if she could not believe he had spoken to her again. Finally, she answered, "Sakura Haruno, sir."

Itachi nodded slowly. Was it his imagination or that name sounded very familiar? Had he known this girl before? No, that was not possible. Despite the fact that he had never gotten involved with low-middle-classed humans enough to know their full name, if he had known her before, he would've cared to remember her face as well as he remembered her name.

"Very well," he said. "And are you feeling alright today, Miss Haruno? Do you think you won't faint anymore?"

"I'm very fine. I did have a good breakfast today. Nothing's going to interfere with my job."

"I really hope so. See you later," he said, and then he closed the door and walked away. He had been planning to find a maid and ask for a snack, but he decided to change his route. Instead of going downstairs, to the first floor, he went upstairs, to his brother's bedroom.

* * *

><p>His mother was sleeping in her bedroom, and Sasuke was too curious to feel guilty about slipping into her dreams. Normally, he would never do that, wouldn't even consider it, since he respected his family's dreams and privacy as much as he wanted them to respect his. In fact, this was the second time he sneaked a peek into his mother's dreams; the first one had been an accident, a long time ago, when he was a kid and he was learning how to control his gift.<p>

But this time he was doing it in purpose. He wanted to know what the hell was going on between his parents. They were definitely hiding something from him and his older brother, and that was more than obvious thanks to the fact that his mother, for the first time in years, had shooed her sons away to have a private conversation with her husband. There were no secrets between their family; they all trusted each other. So Sasuke, more than offended, felt intrigued to know what was this secret about, and he thought that, perhaps, being in his mother's dreams would give him a clue about it.

However, he had to be discreet. Very, very discreet. If he was seen, his mother would find out he had sneaked into her dreams, and he would pay for it. After all, she was not stupid, and she would instantly know that she was not dreaming about Sasuke, that he was, in fact, sneaking into her dreams, invading her privacy.

Sasuke could not deny he felt terrible doing this. He felt like the worst son in the world. Actually, like the worst person. Who was sick enough to take advantage of their gift to find about secrets they were probably not able to keep? _But I have to know_, was his excuse, and, at least for that moment, he felt it was good enough.

He was in. He had penetrated that thick, white mist between her mother's mind and his own. He was asleep, on his bed, but he was not in his head: he was now in his mother's. The blissful yet terrifying sensation of getting into someone's dream never failed to amaze him, not even once. His stomach was a knot and his knees were shaking, but he was happy, so happy, because it felt good. Deep inside, not everything was scary and heavy.

Sasuke landed and looked around him. He was surprised to realize he was in a familiar place: it was his mother's "office", which was actually the place where she did her dressmaking hobby. But it looked different than it did currently. The walls were not pink, but blue; the furniture looked less modern, even a bit old-fashioned; the curtains were the same as the ones in the guest rooms, the same transparent ones. He remembered this was how the room used to look like before his mother completely redesigned it fourteen or fifteen years ago. That fact made him guess his mother was having a dream about a very old memory.

The puzzlement left him off guard only a few seconds, but he quickly struggled to keep himself invisible, hidden, so that his mother wouldn't notice him. He got ready just in time to hear his mother's voice coming from the far corner of the room.

"Oh, Hikari, it is so beautiful!"

Sasuke turned and saw his mother standing there, looking more than a decade younger, staring with wide, fascinated eyes to the white dress she was holding out to examine. In front of her stood another woman. She looked the same age as his mother and had long, blonde hair and a slim body. Her back was to him, so he could not see her face, but he could guess how pretty she was by the mere sound of her voice.

"I know! My mother gave it to me."

"Oh... She wore it in her wedding?"

The other woman laughed. "No, but that would've been a nice touch, don't you think? Wearing the same wedding dress my mother did... Sounds kind of cheesy, though."

Mikoto giggled. "Yes, I suppose so. But then how did she get it?"

"I have no idea. Maybe she bought it."

"Maybe." Mikoto stared at the dress for some more time and smiled widely. "It's so simple, yet so... naturally gorgeous. Mine was big and expensive and a bit extravagant, yet I think I would've rather to wear a dress like this. But well, it isn't as if my parents would've let me."

"Oh, please. I wore this dress and married a human. Do you think I cared about what my parents said?"

Mikoto laughed and Sasuke frowned. Married a human? The woman said she'd married a human? Did that mean... she was a vampire as well? Sasuke examined her back more closely. He tried to see if she looked like one of his kind... and he decided she did. Perhaps it was something about the way she stood or the way she moved to lean against his mother's desk, he didn't know. He just knew something about her said she was a vampire, and it made sense.

But then, she really married a human? Was that even legal? Sasuke thought it wasn't, not even back then. But legal or not, how could a vampire _willingly _marry a human? It just didn't make sense!

"And..." Mikoto said when her laughter died, her expression turning slightly sad, "I'm sorry to ask this, but what was your parents' reaction when they found out you were pregnant?"

Sasuke's breath got stuck in his throat. Pregnant? The vampire married to a human had been pregnant? Then that meant...

The woman sighed. "Not well, of course. But my baby is still their granddaughter. Half breed or not, they still love her with all their hearts. They just had to hold her in their arms to realize that."

A half-breed vampire. That woman was the mother of a half-breed vampire! And married to a human!

What the hell was a person like that doing in his house in that moment? And why did his mother talked to her so friendly? How could they be friends?

Mikoto smiled sadly. "That's good." She sighed and put the dress away to open a drawer and take something out. "Well, I know you'll say I'm already doing too much by keeping your dress safe in my house, but I want to give you something, Hikari."

The woman, Hikari, giggled. "Oh, well, you guessed right. But still, I'm to weak to reject a gift from you, Mikoto."

"I know you are." Sasuke's mother showed her the thing she had taken out of the drawer. It was a gold necklace and hanging from it was a small, red stone, perhaps a ruby. "Here. I want you to keep this and wear it everyday to remember me. It's like a symbol of our friendship."

"Oh, Mikoto!" Hikari breathed out as she took the necklace in her hands. "It's beautiful! But... I don't think it's necessary to remember you. You're my best friend ever since we were kids and you've done a lot for me. You will always be in my heart and in my mind."

"Still, keep it," Mikoto insisted. "If you don't, I'll be very hurt. I bought it just for you. Actually, I didn't plan to, but on a trip to Italy a few months ago I was at a jewelery store and I saw it and it reminded me of you. I don't know why, but it did. So I asked the clerk about it and he told me a story. He said it used to belong to a very beautiful princess in Ireland. She had dreams about a man and she fell in love with him. She thought he was real, that he did exist, and her parents sent her to a mental hospital believing she was crazy. But one day she had a dream in which her lover gave her this same necklace, and when she woke up, she found the necklace around her neck, as if it all had really happened. She died waiting for her lover to come rescue her, and the necklace has passed from person to person for almost half century until it is now in your hands."

Hikari examined the necklace with a new found fascination. "Wow. That's a beautiful story. Do you think it's real?"

"I don't know," Sasuke's mother replied. "Let's believe it is."

The other woman was quiet for a moment, her expression soft as she stared at the ruby, until she said, "Thank you, Mikoto. I think I will keep it. And when my daughter grows up, I'll give it to her and tell her you gave it to me and the story you just told me."

Mikoto giggled. "I'm sure little Sakura will love it."

Sasuke's frown deepened. The half-breed, that woman's daughter, the one she had with her human husband, was named Sakura? Sakura... that name sounded familiar... Where had he heard it before? Well, it was a common name, and he knew a lot of women, but he felt like he had heard that name very recently. But where? From who?

Before the women could keep talking and give him more clues, the air in his lungs was punched out as he was pulled away from the dream, through the heavy mist, back into his own mind... and then he was awake.


	9. The photograph

**Chapter eight**

_The photograph_

Sasuke sat up on the divan, breathing rapidly, his heart hammering in his chest. He looked around him, panic turning him paranoid, expecting himself to be in a white-walled laboratory with scientists observing him from the other side of thick glasses. But he was in his bedroom, in his house. He was safe.

And he was mad. He had been jolted awake, and that had provoked a painful, urgent evacuation from his mother's dream. Being awoken from someone else's dream was always bothersome, but that was not what made him so angry. It was the fact that his mother had probably noticed him there. It was the fact that, at any moment, his mother would wake up, storm into his room and scold him severely. It was the fact that he probably was in great trouble now... and it was all the fault of the person who'd woken him up.

But who had been? What had been? Why was he awoken so abruptly?

Before he could even concentrate to search for another presence in the room, he heard his brother's voice right behind him. "Hello, brother."

Sasuke jumped off the divan as fast as he could and stood a couple meters away from his brother. Itachi was standing behind the divan, smirking widely, his hands interviewed behind his back. He seemed satisfied as Sasuke glared daggers at him.

"Why did you wake me up!" Sasuke demanded, baring his teeth at him. Already his fangs were starting to sharpen; that was a sign of just how angry he was. He was ready to rip his brother's head at any moment... Itachi better gave him a good excuse.

"You were in someone's dream, huh? Whose? You were frowning as you slept. Was it unpleasant? What did you find out, what did you see?"

"Answer my question!"

Itachi chuckled. "Okay, okay, sorry. I just wanted to talk to you about something, or, actually, someone."

"Who?" Sasuke asked, his anger being slightly clouded by confusion.

"The maid who called you a vampire. The pink haired one."

"What about her?"

"She smells strange," Itachi mused as he stepped towards him, his expression thoughtful. "She smells human, yet there's something hidden under that. It's a mixed fragrance, human mixed with... something _new_. Something acrid, yet delightful. Something that reminds me of something I cannot quite identify." He stopped in front of Sasuke and looked into his eyes. "Have you noticed it?"

"Not really. I don't go around sniffing humans. They will all smell the same, anyways," Sasuke replied indifferently yet, deep inside, he knew there was something different about that girl. Something he didn't like at all.

"Well, next time, try to focus and catch her smell. When you do, come to me and tell me what you think."

"Why do you care so much, Itachi?" the younger Uchiha asked.

"This only intrigues me. You have to agree with me: there's something off about that maid. She knew you were a vampire, she smells differently, and I think I know her, yet I cannot remember her very well. I want to find out what's going on, especially because I think it had something to do with our parents having private conversations and the Yamanaka becoming our maid."

Sasuke thought his brother was right, yet he didn't admit it at loud; he would never give him that satisfaction. "Okay," he said, "I'm with you. But only because I want to know what our parents are hiding."

"I know that." Itachi smiled. "Why else would you sneak into our mother's dreams?"

"How did you..." Sasuke started, but he didn't bother to finish the question. It was not as if it really mattered. "Whatever. Don't tell anyone, though."

"And if I don't, what will I get in return?"

Sasuke glared, doing his best at keeping himself from attacking his older brother. "What?"

"You really think I'll keep this for you just because we're brothers?" Itachi laughed.

Sasuke ran a hand through his messy hair, sighing. "Alright. If you don't tell anyone, I will... I will tell you what I saw in our mother's dream."

"And why do you think I want to know that?"

Sasuke started to tell him everything he saw. He told him about their mother's best friend, about her marriage to a human, about the necklace their mother gave her, about the half-breed vampire named Sakura.

"Sakura?" Itachi repeated and for the first time in years, Sasuke saw utter shock in his eyes.

"Yeah. I think I've heard the name before, but I'm not sure."

"Of course you have!" Itachi said loudly, stepping closer, and then he whispered, "The maid who called you a vampire, the one who smells so weird... her name is Sakura."

* * *

><p>In the study, Sakura sneezed, and blamed the dust she was brushing off the bookcases.<p>

Suddenly, she heard the door behind her opening, and she turned her head to see Mikoto Uchiha stepping in. "Hello, Sakura," she greeted, smiling.

"Oh, madam! Good morning." She hurried to climb down the small ladder she was using to reach the tallest parts of the bookcases. "What brings you here?"

"I was looking for my favorite parlor maid to bring me some tea to my office," she replied.

"Oh! Alright. I'm sorry you had to come all the way here just to tell me so. It's just that I'm cleaning it all by myself because the other parlor maids haven't arrived yet. But don't worry, you can go back to your office. I'll get your tea there in an instant. Would you like anything else?"

Mikoto thought for a moment. "A few cookies would be perfect."

"Okay. I'll bring them to you immediately."

Sakura put her cleaning utensil away and started walking towards the door. She walked past Mrs. Uchiha and realized the woman was not moving. She stopped and said, "Uh, you should go back to your, uh, office, madam. I'll get the tea and the cookies there for you."

Mrs. Uchiha didn't move. When Sakura was about to ask if she was okay, her shoulders rose and then lowered in a deep sigh, and she turned around and looked at her with a sad smile on her face. "You are working really hard, aren't you?"

Sakura smiled slightly. "Yes. I have to earn that money."

"What do you need the money for?"

"Well, you'll see, my aunt is in the hospital and someone needs to pay for the bills. My older cousin works, but I want to help her out."

"You're really noble," Mrs. Uchiha praised.

"Thank you."

The woman sighed deeply and started heading to the door. "Well, I'll be in my office, then. Keep working hard, Sakura."

"Okay," the girl replied and a moment after her madam was gone, she hurried down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"May I help you?" a kitchen maid there asked.

"Uh, yeah," Sakura said, out of breath. "Um, uh... the madam wants some tea and cookies," she explained awkwardly. What else was she supposed to say? But the kitchen maid understood what she meant.

Sakura waited for the maid to boil the water and take the cookies the cook had recently baked out of the oven. As she stood there, she found herself nervous. It was going to be her first time serving tea! The head house maid had taught her how to do it, bu doing it in front of someone else would make her nervous. What if her hand shook and she spilled the tea? What if she knocked one of the expensive porcelain cups off?

"Sakura!"

She turned around and saw TenTen entering the kitchen, grinning. Sakura grinned back; it was comforting to see a friendly face in a moment like this. "Oh, hey! What are you doing here?"

The brunette rolled her eyes. "Ugh, I came for something to drink, but the truth is that I just wanted to get out of that basement. It's so cold and dark and depressing down there! And you know me, you know how much I like to be out, under the sunshine, breathing fresh air. I'm going crazy down there."

"Well, but is the work too hard?"

"Nah," TenTen replied, shrugging. "Piece of cake. Just a few clothes for now. But the hard work is going to start when we start with the blankets the chamber maids just brought for us. Still, it's not going to be very difficult. We just have to put the clothes in the washing machine and push a few buttons and do the same with the drying. I love technology."

Sakura snickered. "Well, you're lucky. Technology hasn't made _me_ any favor. I have to clean the furniture and the bookcases with my own hands! I feel so primitive."

Her friend laughed. "Anyways, what are you doing here?"

"The madam wanted tea and cookies."

"Oh," TenTen said, and before she could add anything else, the kitchen's door opened again and three maids came in. Among them was Ino, looking annoyed and tired, fixing her long pony tail as she walked. When Sakura saw her, she smiled widely.

"Hey, Ino!" she called out. The blonde looked up at her, smiled back and headed towards them.

"So we meet again, huh? How long has it been? A century?" TenTen joked.

"I'm not sure. It felt like a millennium for me," Ino sighed. "Changing blankets becomes annoying and exhausting by the eight time you do it. And gosh, the dust! If I could get a yen for every time I sneezed, I would be able to buy that cute purse I saw in the mall last weekend. But I don't complain much, because by the end of the weekend, I will have enough money to buy it."

"You're right," TenTen said. "This is hard, but at least we'll get really well paid. Hey, what are you guys going to spend the money in?" she asked excitedly.

The three friends chatted for a few minutes, momentarily forgetting their duties. Sakura didn't feel guilty because this was just a break and, after every thing they'd already done, they deserved it. Besides, she was glad to be with her friends again. She'd felt lonely cleaning all by herself.

They were interrupted when a kitchen maid came and handed Sakura a tray with a porcelain pot and cup and a small plate filled with cookies. She took it and the smell of the recently baked cookies instantly filled her nose.

"I got to go now," she told her friends, trying to keep the tray steady.

"Okay," Ino said. "You're doing well, Saks? Everything's gone smoothly? You feel okay?"

"Well, besides the fact that I'm tired of cleaning, yeah, everything's okay. Why do you ask?"

Ino shrugged casually. "No reason. Now, go ahead! Don't keep the madam waiting! Go, go, go, go!"

Sakura stuck her tongue out at her friend, said one last goodbye and headed out of the kitchen. As she climbed up the stairs, the cup almost slipped off the tray, but she managed to keep it safe and sound. It was hard to keep balance, especially because the pot was heavy. _You're going to do this everyday for an undefined time, _she told herself. _So you better start getting used to it. _

* * *

><p>"I feel like this is illegal."<p>

Itachi sighed. "In our family, it is. And if we get caught, our punishment will be worse than you can imagine."

"Well, thanks for making me feel better," Sasuke muttered sarcastically as he continued leafing through the photo album. His mother loved to take pictures and she had thousands of photo albums. The one resting on his lap right now contained pictures from Itachi's childhood. He'd already seen the pictures from when he was born and was now seeing the ones taken in his tenth birthday.

"Any time," Itachi replied. He was leafing through the album of their parents' wedding. "You know, I think I'm about to find something. If that woman was our mother's best friend, then it is very probable that she went to her wedding."

"You're forgetting something," Sasuke said. "That woman married a human and had a child with him. Do you really think she went to a party filled with vampires that knew about the atrocity she'd committed? And don't say they probably didn't know, because you know that secrets do not exist in our society. If one of us married a human, you know everyone would find out a second after she said the I do."

"You may be right," Itachi said stiffly, and Sasuke failed to keep himself from smiling triumphantly. "Even if our mother was her best friend, she wouldn't have taken such risk. However, in mother's dream, she was already living in this mansion. They bought it when I was six and you were one year old, and that was seventeen years ago. The woman, Hikari, said her daughter was just a baby, so she had probably just married. Therefore, she married years after my mother and, unless she already had a relationship with the human in that time, there was no reason for her not to go to her best friend's wedding, since she hadn't done anything bad yet."

Sasuke frowned. _You just can't let me be right, huh? Not even once?_

"Oh, look," Itachi said, lifting the album closer to his face. "I think I found her."

Surprised, Sasuke glanced over. His brother pointed a photograph of five people standing together, smiling. Two of them were their parents, Mikoto dressed in a beautiful, heavy-looking, white dress and Fugaku wearing a simple black suit. They did not have a traditional Japanese wedding; no vampire did, because they all kept the traditions of their European ancestors. Besides their father stood a blond man both of them recognized as Inoichi Yamanaka, the father of one of their new maids. Standing by their mother's left were two blonde women, one taller and older-looking than the other, who looked their mother's age or perhaps even younger.

"I think they are Mr. Yamanaka's sisters," Itachi commented. "Father mentioned them once, I think. But I don't know any of them."

"I think that's her," Sasuke murmured, astonished. "The one standing right besides mother, the younger looking..."

"Are you sure?"

"Well, not really. I didn't see her face in the dream. But I think that's her. She seems to."

"I see..."

They stared at the picture in silence for a few moments, both pairs of eyes fixed only on that woman, whose name probably was Hikari, who probably was that sick woman who'd married a human and given birth to a half-breed vampire, a sinful creature rejected in any society unless they kept their true identities secret.

Sasuke wondered how she could do it. Ever since they were kids, vampires were taught that getting too close to, hurting or telling what they really were to humans was as wrong as talking to strangers or as eating a lot of candy before meals. When they grew up, they saw mating with humans as wrong as incest, rape or murder. And as adults, getting involved with humans and having children with them was considered a sin, something frowned upon, a wicked, disgusting action worse than necrophilia or anything else. Wasn't that woman taught so? Who told her marrying a human would be okay? If she was in love with him that much, fine, they could marry; Sasuke had known about that kind of situations, and he knew love couldn't be fought. However, all of those couples he'd heard of, even when they were seen as something wrong, they all had the decency to keep themselves from having children, because, if their society was disappointed at vampires married to humans, it was utterly horrified at the sight of half-breeds, their children.

Well, perhaps he was exaggerating with that, but his point was clear. That woman should've thought about that, not because of her own dignity, but because of her kid. If the kid was still alive, if she hadn't been killed yet (some vampires still used to hunt half-breeds down, even though it was also considered illegal, since they were still people), she would be rejected everywhere, everyone would glare at her, stare at her, point and laugh at her, and she would be miserable, so miserable...

Sasuke felt sorry for that girl.

"We should make sure this is really her, still," Itachi said, snapping the album shut.

"You just can't admit I'm right, can you?" Sasuke muttered.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing." He put the albums back into their bookcases and rose to his feet. "But how are we going to make sure if it? We can't ask our parents without telling them the truth, and if we do, they'll kill me for sneaking into mother's dream."

"So?" Itachi asked casually as he stood up, and when Sasuke glared, he laughed. "Hey, I'm kidding! Alright, that's true, we can't ask them. But they're not the only ones that may know. The Presidents are coming over to a meeting with father this weekend. Perhaps some of them know. They know each other for a very long time."

Sasuke nodded. The Presidents were not the countries' presidents, but the ones of every society in the country. There were five; one represented humans, two represented vampires, one werewolves and other one wizards. They used to have meetings to discuss subjects and to get to agreements to keep the peace between their societies and, in the humans' case, to keep the other societies' existences secret. Fugaku Uchiha was one of the two presidents of the vampiric society and the meetings were often made in his mansion, since it was a private, secured place.

"We can ask Mr. Namizake, or maybe Mr. Nara," Itachi said. Namizake was the president of the werewolves, and Nara the one of the wizards. "They are the ones who know father for the longest time, and I saw pictures of them at the wedding; they must know that woman or at least have an idea of who she is." Suddenly, he reached out for the album of their parents' wedding and opened it. "We should borrow the picture to show it to them."

"Hey, but... what if they tell our parents about this?"

"I'll tell them not to. They have no reason to tell them, anyways, if we play innocent."

Sasuke watched his brother find the picture and take it out from behind the plastic. "Are you sure mother won't notice?" he asked after a moment.

"I don't think so."

"If she does, it was your idea to take it, and I opposed to it, okay?"

Itachi smirked. "Got it."


	10. The question

**Chapter nine**

_The question_

Days passed by. Nightmares continued. Sakura had a different one each day, but they all held something in common: there was always, somehow, something scarlet. It was making her start to consider the option of using some of her money to get some professional help.

Still, she hadn't told anyone about it, not to Shizune, not to her best friends, and keeping it from everyone was starting to make her feel uncomfortable. She kind of needed to talk about it, to let it out, to get some advice or something. A therapist would've been exactly what she needed, but therapists wouldn't do it for free, and she had to save her money for more important things, like the hospital bills, or in case something happened to Shizune and she had to look after herself.

So on Friday, when she went to visit her aunt before going to work, Sakura spoke about her nightmares to her. She knew Tsunade probably didn't even hear her, but she was finally telling someone, and that made her feel better. The mere fact of saying it all at loud took a huge burden off her shoulders.

She quietly explained Tsunade about the first nightmare, the one she had for several nights, about the vampire who turned out to be the younger son of the family she was currently working for. She told her about how strange it was that she dreamed about being in the mansion before she even found out that place actually existed. Then, she informed that said nightmares stopped when she met Sasuke, the so called vampire of her dreams, in person, and that she'd thought the nightmares would be over permanently.

"But then I had this dream about being in a labyrinth... Something was chasing me and I was desperate to find an exit, but, of course, I couldn't. The strangest things were that I had no idea of what or who was chasing me and that the leaves of the wall bushes were not green but... scarlet."

Sakura proceeded to talk about her recent nightmares. On Wednesday, she had one in which she was standing under a scarlet sky, the smell of ashes and death filling her nose, skulls and bones lying all around her. She'd woken up on the floor instead of on the bed and covered in cold sweat.

"And last night, I had one in which I was swimming in a pool. It appeared to be a happy dream and I was very glad I was finally having good dreams. But then I got out of the pool, saw my body covered in scarlet and realized I'd been swimming in a pool filled with blood." Sakura sighed deeply, shakily. The memory made her feel nauseous.

"All of my nightmares have been about that color, aunt," she continued when she had calmed down. "Well, not about it, but it has always been there. A bright red, scarlet, everywhere. In the vampire's teeth, in the leaves, in the sky, in the pool... and it's been in blood twice. Why am I having these dreams? Why are they so creepy and gory and scary? Am I traumatized or something? Do I need a doctor?"

Of course, Tsunade didn't, couldn't, answer her questions. Sakura waited for a few more moments and then, with a worried expression on her face, kissed her aunt's cheek goodbye, stood up and left to work.

* * *

><p>The next day, Saturday, Sakura realized she had fallen into a comfortable routine. Wake up at eight thirty, get ready, arrive to the mansion at ten o'clock, clean the entrance hall and the living room, take a break at midday while the other parlor maids clean the study and the office, have lunch at one, keep cleaning, offer tea at three and then go home at six, have dinner with Shizune, take a bath and then go to bed at ten. She liked her routine. She liked all kinds of routines, actually, because they were safe, fun and organized.<p>

But what she liked the most was the money. Mrs. Uchiha paid them at the end of each day what they had been promised, which was great, because Sakura felt glad she never came home empty handed.

She remembered that on Tuesday, when Shizune came home and Sakura showed her what she'd been paid, the older woman had jumped up and down like an excited little girl, exclaiming, "Oh my God, we're rich! Oh my God, we're rich!" Sakura had laughed at her and when they decided to stop fooling around, they had come to an agreement: Sakura would take care only of the hospital bills and a few house bills, and Shizune of the other house bills and the food.

It had been a happy, yet kind of tiresome, week, although it was not over yet. Sakura had to work today, but tomorrow, Sunday, would be her free day. Ino wanted to go out and party when they finished their shift, but Sakura had declined the offer of going with her; she just wanted to rest.

"You're such a wet blanket," Ino said unhappily as they ate lunch, sitting at one of the few tables in the backyard of the Uchiha mansion, with a nice view of the garden, after Sakura explained her why she didn't want to go out that night.

"Come on, don't be mean to her," TenTen said. "Sakura is just tired of working and she wants to rest. Right, Saks?"

"Yeah," the girl replied. "TenTen is used to work, and you Ino, you are hyperactive and you never seem to get tired, but I'm not used to it. I'm exhausted and I just want a day to stay in bed until midday and watch TV all day and eat something different from the fancy, healthy food here, like ice cream and pizza."

Ino wrinkled her nose. "Ew. But anyways, I do get tired too, honey, but I just can't say no to a girls night out! You know what you need, Saks? A _boyfriend_. Single girls are just like you: never want to go out, like to eat fattening food, hate life, get tired too quickly..."

"I don't hate life, Ino," Sakura said, trying not to lose her patience.

"A man would definitely change you," the blonde continued. "You're embittered! Falling in love would give you energy and happiness and a social life. If you go out with us tonight, I promise I'll help you get a man. You need to loosen up, baby!"

"Now that you mention it, when was the last time you had a boyfriend, Sakura?" TenTen asked curiously.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Last year! But I don't see how that matters or has something to do with the way I am. You know I've _always_ liked to eat like a pig and be lazy, Ino, even if I'm single or not. And I do _not_ depend on a man to be happy, okay? I'm already happy with my life. I mean, I'd like to change some things, but I'm alive and healthy and that makes me happy. I do not need a boyfriend!"

"You go, girl!" someone exclaimed, and Sakura snapped her head to the left to see a blond guy standing at the door way, grinning at her. Her face instantly blushed. Had that stranger just listened as she ranted about her love life? How much had he heard!

"Oh my God," TenTen murmured from besides her. She startled them when she suddenly shot up from her chair, slamming her hands on the table, making the cups and plates shake. "Naruto!"

"Naruto...?" Ino repeated, staring at the brunette with a questioning look.

Sakura glanced from her friend to the young man standing by the door leading into the mansion, and then back to her friend. "You... you know him, TenTen?"

"Of course she knows me!" the guy said, stepping towards them with his arms folded over his chest. "I'm her brother!"

* * *

><p>"Good to see you, Sasuke," Minato Namizake said as they politely shook hands. His hand was rough and filled with tiny scars, like the paw of a werewolf who ran miles to chase or just for fun had to be.<p>

"Good to see you too," Sasuke replied sincerely. He liked that man. He knew him ever since he was a kid, maybe a baby, and he'd always seen him as a strong, admirable person. In fact, he was almost his second father because his son was someone Sasuke considered as the second brother he never had.

However, this time, he was more than glad to see him again. He was eager. Because Mr. Namizake could have some answers he, and Itachi, although he'd never admit it, desperately wanted.

"Have you seen Naruto?" Minato asked, scratching his head confusedly, just like his son did in a similar situation, as Sasuke sat back on the couch. "He disappeared after I said hi to your parents."

"No... I haven't seen him."

"I thought he'd be with you."

"I thought so too," Sasuke murmured, wondering where the hell that blond idiot had gone and thinking how weird this was. When he came to visit, Naruto always went to annoy him before doing anything else. Now he hadn't even come to say hello. Sasuke felt glad he wasn't there to bother, but he also felt kind of mad. What kind of person ignored his best friend when he came to his house?

Minato excused himself and met Itachi at the door when he was about to step out of the study. They greeted each other friendly and then the older man left ("Sorry, I lost my son.") Itachi stepped in, closing the door behind him, and Sasuke left the book he'd been reading aside.

"When are we going to ask him about the picture?" he asked his older brother.

Itachi slumped on the individual couch. "Well, he's here earlier, which is good. He won't be busy until everyone else has arrived. I guess we can find him alone and ask him any time now."

"We should have asked him before he left," Sasuke grumbled. "It was the perfect moment."

"That comment would've been more useful a few moments ago, little brother."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "And why didn't you think about that? Aren't you smarter, better than me in everything?"

"I was too distracted."

"With _what_?"

Itachi was quiet for a moment. "Do you trust Naruto, Sasuke?"

The question caught him off guard. "What?"

"Just answer me. Do you?"

"Well... yes, I trust him. Why do you-?"

"I think we should tell him about all of this. He can be of great help."

"How?" Sasuke asked confusedly.

"Can't you see it?" Itachi smirked. "Well, seems like I am the smartest here, indeed."

"Just tell me why the hell you think that dumbass can help with this. He's of my same age, even a few months younger; he can't know that woman. Actually, I'm sure he knows as much as we do, perhaps even less. So I don't get why we should involve him in this."

"He's a werewolf."

"Why don't you tell me something I _don't_ know, huh?"

"His nose is better than ours."

Before he could make another sarcastic comment, Sasuke started to understand what his brother was implying. "You mean he can tell us whether that maid is that half-breed vampire or not?" Itachi nodded. "But... but he doesn't know what a half-breed smells like. How will he tell her apart?"

"He doesn't need to know what a half-breed smells like. He just has to tell us what _she_ smells like. I think she smells human, yet there's something else beneath that smell that I don't recognize. Naruto's nose is more experienced, sharper, and maybe he knows what that thing beneath is. If he says she smells like a vampire as well, then we'll know it's her."

Sasuke was quiet for a few moments. He wasn't sure about Naruto. Sure, he was a werewolf and his nose was better than his, but he was not the smartest werewolf ever. Sometimes he was even stupid. Would he be able to help them? And what if he told someone else about it? Sasuke knew he'd never betray them, but what if he implied something without wanting to? If they got found out, they were screwed. _He_ was screwed.

But it would be worth it, wouldn't it? They were about to discover a half-breed. That was like finding out where a serial killer that had been killing people for decades without being caught lived and telling the police. Wouldn't that deserve a reward or perhaps even immunity?

Suddenly, a question appeared in his mind, a question that left him dumbfounded, confused and scared, and since he was not able to, and did not _want_ to be able to, answer it correctly, he spoke it at loud. "What is going to happen to that girl after we discover her?"

"If she really is the half-breed, you mean?" Itachi asked.

Sasuke looked at his brother. "Itachi, of course it's her. Don't try to fool yourself."

"Don't be so sure."

"But there are too many things indicating it's her! Her smell, her name, the sense of already knowing her from somewhere..."

"Those aren't many things. Those are just three."

He sighed deeply. "Okay. So what if she really is it? What is going to happen? What... what will they do to her?"

Sasuke already knew the answer. Of course he did. He just didn't dare to even _think_ it. It made him feel... wrong. It scared and confused him. It made him want to reconsider his actions. And Itachi's expression as he answered the question said he was starting to feel the same way.

"They will kill her."

* * *

><p>Ino and Sakura stared at TenTen with a mix of confusion, amusement and shock.<p>

"He means my _adoptive_ brother," the brunette said exasperatedly. She stepped towards him and stood besides him with a hand on his shoulder as he grinned happily. "Girls, this is Naruto Namizake, the son of Mr. Namizake, the man who adopted me. Naruto, these are Sakura and Ino, my best friends."

"Hi!" the guy said. His smile was so wide Sakura thought his face would break. But it was a pretty smile, she noticed. Actually, he was quite handsome...

_What the hell,_ she told herself as she pushed those thoughts away. _You just said you don't need a boyfriend, and now you're hunting one? Great, Sakura, really great._

"Um, nice to meet you," she forced herself to say. "TenTen doesn't use to talk about you a lot so, uh, we had no idea of who you were. She showed us a picture of you once, but you looked like eleven years old and now you're older so... we didn't recognized you."

"No worries," he replied. "I'm just glad I finally get to meet her friends and to see her again!" He put an arm around TenTen and hugged her tightly. "How long has it been, sis! Five, six years?"

"Five and a half," TenTen said, smiling. Sakura noticed she was very happy. It was weird to see TenTen beaming like that. It seemed like she really cared about that guy. "But what the hell are you doing here, Naruto?"

"There's some sort of meeting between, uh, business men. You know, between presidents of different corporations, actually. I came with my dad because I had nothing better to do. Besides, I wanted to come see Sasuke. You know him, right?" They nodded. "Well, he's my best friend, and I haven't seen him in _weeks_... By the way, I haven't said hi to him. He must be very mad right now..."

"Just tell him you came to see your sister, who you haven't seen in years," TenTen said. "By the way, how did you know I would be here? Did Minato tell you I now work here?"

"Um, yeah. He always tells me what's up with you since you _never_ call home..."

TenTen's smile turned into a frown. "Naruto, you know I don't have the money to call all the way to the other side of the country..."

"Well, then tell my dad to give it to you!"

"Of course not!"

"Oh, right, I forgot. You're independent, you don't want to bother anyone and blah, blah, blah..."

By the expression in TenTen's face, Sakura knew a big discussion was about to start, so she stood up and quickly said, "Hey, uh, I think our break is over. We should go back to work."

"Oh! Okay, I don't want to interfere," Naruto said, his happy expression coming back. "It was nice to meet you. You're Sakura, right?"

"Yeah."

"I knew it would be you because of your hair color."

"What do you mean?" she asked confusedly.

"You know, I knew you'd be Sakura and not Ino because your hair is of the color of the sakura tree." Suddenly, he started to shift nervously. "Um, I know it's a personal question, but... you dye it, right?"

"Yeah," Sakura laughed. If only she could get a yen for every time someone asked her that, she'd be living in a mansion bigger than the Uchiha's. "I'm actually blonde."

"Oh, awesome." Againg relaxed, he turned to Ino, but then his smile vanished in a blink of an eye. In his blue eyes, Sakura could see surprise and perplexity. The first thing she thought of that look was that he was shocked by Ino's beauty, that he'd fallen in love with her, love at first sight, like in the cheesy movies. It was romantic... but a shame as well; now he was taken.

"Um, nice to meet you too," he said awkwardly. The nervousness of being in front of a crush... How cute... and disgusting.

"Yeah, ditto," Ino said dryly, sounding even kind of tense. He clearly liked her and she gave a damn about it! Well, who could blame her? She always put guys like this, they always looked at and fell for her, they always ignored Sakura. Ino had so many boys head over heels for her that she didn't care for an add to her list. Of course.

"Bye," Naruto said and then he turned around and walked back into the mansion. When he was gone, TenTen turned to Sakura.

"Thanks for that," she said."If you hadn't said something, we would've ended up arguing."

"It's nothing. I just didn't want to deal with an angry you."

"But you know? We should really get to work," Ino said, standing from her chair. "The guests are starting to arrive, and if they're staying for the night in the guest rooms, then I got a lot to do." She sighed sadly. "This sucks. I'll end up so exhausted I don't think I'll feel like partying anymore."

"I have work to do too, then," Sakura said. "I'm supposed to bring the snacks and drinks to them during the meeting."

"Well, I'll just go back to the basement then, in case I'm also needed, though I don't think I will," TenTen said. "See you later, guys."

"See you," the others replied in unison and when TenTen was gone, Sakura turned to Ino and forced herself to sound enthusiastic as she asked, "Did you see the way Naruto looked at you? He totally likes you!"

"Oh, believe me," Ino sighed. "He definitely does not like me."

"He does!"

"No, he doesn't."

"Well, think whatever you want, but if I were you, I'd do something. He's not ugly at all, you know?"

"You can keep it," Ino said, shrugging. "He's not the kind of guy I like. At _all_."


	11. The realization

Notes: Sorry it took me kind of long to update, but here is a long chapter to make up for it ;)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter ten<strong>

_The realization_

As Sasuke and Itachi were stepping out of the study, they saw Naruto was stomping towards them. When Sasuke saw him, he noticed he looked kind of agitated, but he was too mad at him to care. "Oh there you are," he said sarcastically. "Finally decided to show up, huh?"

Itachi closed the door behind them at the same time Naruto came to an abrupt stop right in front of Sasuke. He was breathing rapidly and his blue eyes were wild. He kind of looked as if he had seen a monster crawling out of his closet: scared, yet too fascinated to panic. "Dude!" he exclaimed, ignoring what Sasuke had just said. "Why do you have the Yamanaka heiress as a maid?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "She's the heiress?"

"Yeah, the first born! But why does she work for you – as a _maid_? That's just... it's just... it's as if you were a footman for the Hyugas! What the hell! "

"According to our parents," Itachi said calmly, "she just wants to try it out, to know how it feels like and to get in the shoes of other kind of people."

"What!" Naruto looked as if they had just told him a giraffe was standing behind him. "That's bullshit, man! Ino Yamanaka is not that kind of person. She thinks she's the queen of the world, and she would rather be tortured for weeks than being a maid."

"Do you know her?" Sasuke asked confusedly.

"Of course! Well, we haven't talked in years, but we used to be playmates when we were like, five or six years old. I didn't like her, though, because of what I just said. She is nothing but a spoiled heiress, dude. She cannot be working for you!"

"Perhaps she has changed," Itachi suggested. "People change, you know? None of us is the same as years ago. And you knew her when she was just a kid, Naruto. She has to be have matured."

Naruto shook his head, unconvinced. "I don't know, man, but this is just unbelievable. There must be another reason she's doing this, a very strong reason... She can't be doing this only because she wants to know what it feels like... she doesn't care about that crap... and she doesn't need the money; the Yamanakas are kind of rich, you know? Besides,she's a vamp; if she wants to, she can get into stores and steal stuff without anyone noticing."

Sasuke opened his mouth to assure Naruto that people did change and to tell him that it wasn't as if they cared about Ino's life, but then an idea popped into his mind. That woman, Hikari, was a Yamanaka, Inoichi's young sister, so her half-breed daughter was Ino's cousin, right? What if Ino was there because of the half-breed? Maybe she was there to protect her or something, to keep people from finding out what she was, from hurting her, from killing her...

"Naruto is right," Sasuke blurted out, surprising both his brother and his best friend. It was weird to see him agreeing in something with Naruto. "It does look suspicious."

"It does," Itachi agreed, "but not that much. It makes sense to me that she wants to get away from her normal life and try other kind of things. You know, if she's going to lead a whole clan, she needs to have some humility, and yes, she may not be the kind of person who would care about having humility, but it's probable that her parents are forcing her to do this."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. He despised Itachi for a lot of reasons, and this was one of them: he was always thinking differently, trying to argue, to prove everyone wrong. The worst thing about it was that he always made sense, and that he always made the person he was arguing with hesitate.

But Sasuke was used to arguing with his brother. He had gotten good at it, too.

"Okay... But Naruto said she was really spoiled, and the Yamanakas don't seem the kind of people that force their kids to do things they don't want to. Besides, a heiress has a natural strong personality, they are raised that way, and she wouldn't let herself be forced to be a maid. What makes sense to _me_ is that Ino is here because of the half-breed, who apparently is a Yamanaka as well."

That last sentence made Itachi freeze. It was the second time in the week Sasuke saw his brother utterly shocked.

"Half what?" Naruto asked, a perplexed frown on his face, but the brothers ignored him.

"How could I forget that?" Itachi muttered, more to himself than to them. "If that girl really is a half-breed, if she's that woman's daughter, if that woman in the picture really is Hikari... then she's Ino's cousin!"

"Cousin?" Naruto repeated. "Hey, hold on right there. Ino does not have cousins. She has a little brother but no cousins. That's why we were playmates: in that time, when her brother was not born yet, she was an only child like me, and our parents set us up. But really, no cousins. Or at least I haven't heard about them."

"You don't know..." Sasuke whispered, frowning at Naruto, and then he rolled his eyes. "Well, _of course_ you don't know. _We_ didn't know before, either. No one talks about it. They would never mention that... incident."

"What incident!" Naruto exclaimed, clearly desperate. "You're freaking me out, dude!"

"Let's tell him," Itachi told Sasuke. "Then let's go have a word with Miss Yamanaka... and let's show her the picture, too, so that she knows we really know it all."

"Guys!" Naruto yelled. "What are you talking about? What picture?"

Sasuke took a deep breath and opened the door of the study once again. "It's a long story. And if you're going to hear it, you'll need to sit down."

* * *

><p>Sakura took deep breaths in hope she would calm herself down as she took the tray with the drinks (tea, juice, water, even wine; anything one would wish for) on it. She was starting to feel nervous again, as nervous as she had felt the first time she ever served tea to someone else. She'd been doing it for three days already, yet she'd barely started to feel used to it. Besides, she'd only served to the Uchihas and to Mr. Hatake, not to other important business men who would be very very angry if she spilled hot liquid on their extremely expensive suits and could convince her boss of firing her for being so stupid and clumsy, and if she was fired, Shizune would have to pay for all the bills by herself, but that wouldn't be enough, so they'd probably have to sell their stuff or move or...<p>

"Calm down," she murmured to herself as she forced her sweaty hands to stop shaking. "Be optimist and things will turn out okay..."

"Hey, newbie," she heard someone calling from behind, and she turned around very slowly, struggling to keep balance of the heavy tray. One of the other parlor maids was walking towards her. "Let me help you out," she said.

"Oh, thank you." Gratefully, Sakura offered her the tray, but the maid passed by her without even glancing at it.

"I'll open the door for you," she said. "Come on."

Surprised, Sakura hurried to follow her. _Well,_ she thought,_ at least she's helping with something._

The meeting was taking place in Mr. Uchiha's office. Earlier that day, some footmen had carried the desk out to leave more space for the round table they'd carried in later. Sakura wondered why the Uchiha mansion, being so goddamned big, had everything but a special room for meetings, which seemed to be pretty necessary, sincce, according to Mrs. Uchiha, a lot of business meetings took place in her home.

Sakura followed the maid to the second floor and, as promised, she took care of the door for her. She knocked a couple times but didn't wait for an answer; she just opened the door and motioned Sakura in. Awkwardly, with her heart hammering in her chest, Sakura walked inside.

"Good afternoon," the other parlor maid said as she closed the door behind them. Sakura thought she was supposed to say the same thing, but she was too nervous and afraid of doing something wrong to dare to speak.

The round table was right on the middle of the spacious room. It was not very big, though, just enough for five men to sit at it comfortably. Sakura recognized only two of the men sitting at the table: Mr. Uchiha and a man who looked like an older version of TenTen's adoptive brother, and she guessed he was Mr. Namizake, the adoptive father. The other three men were strangers. One of them, sitting at Mr. Uchiha's left, had long, brown hair falling behind his back; the one sitting at his right had long, brown hair too, but it was shorter than the other man's and tied into a high, spiky ponytail. The fifth man looked slightly more normal; he had short hair and a friendly face. The five of them were wearing black, expensive-looking suits, as Sakura had expected them to.

_Remember, don't spill anything on them_, she told herself as she took a couple steps forwards. "Would you like something to drink?" she asked, glad she didn't stutter.

"Tea would be fine for me," the man with the longest hair said. When he looked at her, she noticed his eyes were a very pale and beautiful shade of gray. She had never seen eyes like those.

"For me too," Mr. Uchiha said as he leafed through a big, thick book.

"I would like water," Mr. Namizake said.

The other men shook their heads no.

Sakura nodded and hesitated for a moment before proceeding to serve the drinks. Her hands shook slightly, but she didn't spill or break anything; it all went smoothly. When she finished, she stepped back with a small smile on her face, satisfied. _I can do this_, she thought proudly. _I really can!_

"Excuse us," the other maid, who had stood quietly by the door the whole time, said, bowing slightly. Sakura bowed too and then hurried out of the room.

When the maid closed the door, she turned to her and said, "You did good, newbie."

"Thanks," Sakura said, smiling. "I was nervous."

"That's normal; I was nervous the first time I served tea in one of these meetings, too," she replied as they walked down the stairs. "You did great, though. Seems like you'll be good at this."

Sakura smiled gratefully, thanked her and then they parted ways: she went back to the ktichen, to have a glass of water, and the other maid headed to the backyard. As she walked, Sakura thought her job was already done for now. She had some time to kill.

At the kitchen, where kitchen maids were very busy helping the cook prepare a fancier-than-usual dinner, Sakura glanced at the apple-shaped clock hanging from the wall. It was only four in the afternoon; she still had two more hours before she could go home. She thought about looking for Ino... but then she rejected the idea. She was still kind of mad at her for always getting Naruto's attention. She knew it was something stupid to get angry about, but she just didn't want to hang out with her yet. She would go to TenTen instead, to the basement. Besides, she hadn't gone down there yet, and she wanted to know if it was as bad as TenTen described it.

"Hey, you're not busy?" a kitchen maid asked her, and Sakura shook her head no. "Good. Come and help us."

"What? With what?"

"I don't know, with anything! Dinner is in two hours and we have a_ lot_ to do. We need as much help as we can get."

Sakura opened her mouth to give a lame excuse because she really didn't want to help, but then she realized she had no choice. Helping in the kitchen was part of her job, too. She had to work... or else, maybe someone was going to tell Mrs. Uchiha she was being lazy and she'd get in trouble, and she didn't want that, did she?

"Okay," she sighed, and then reluctantly followed the maid to some corner of the kitchen where she was given short instructions, some carrots and a knife to chop them.

As she started to chop a carrot into tiny pieces, Sakura sighed. She had always hated to cook. Tsunade and Shizune had taught her a lot of times, and she didn't actually sucked at it, because she could make some delicious breakfasts when she woke up in a good mood, but she really despised to prepare food if it wasn't extremely necessary. She would do it to save her life, of course, but if she had any choice, she would stay away from the kitchen. Luckily, Tsunade had always been the one to cook for her. The woman liked to do it, and she was good at it. She owned a grocery shop, but Sakura had always told her she'd make even more money if she were a cook. However, ever since the accident, Shizune had been the one to cook. She wasn't bad at it, but not as good as Tsunade. Sakura really missed her aunt's food...

She wondered if she'd ever get to taste it once again.

A sudden feeling of depresion dazed her, and everything around her seemed to disappear as images of her aunt, awake and alive, floded her mind. A lump blocked her throat, and she pressed her lips together until they paled to keep herself from crying, but it was useless: tears were already starting to cloud her sight.

A tear fell on the table, almost hitting a piece of carrot, and when she stopped to stare at it, the realization of being crying hit her. She hadn't cried in a very long time... She'd only cried twice ever since the accident. The first time had been when she woke up in the hospital and was told her aunt was in comma; the other had been the first time she went to visit Tsunade after she was discharged from the hospital. Ever since then, she'd forced herself to not shed a single tear, because she hated to cry, and she was so so so tired of it...

Furious at herself, for being so weak and pathetic and for being crying in a kitchen full of people who could see her, she hurried to continue choping the carrot. She did it with such strenght it seemed she was taking it out on the poor vegetable. On the fouth chop she tried to do, she accidently hit some of her finger's skin with the knife. Hissing, she jerked her hand away and held the finger up. She stared at the blood with wide, stunned eyes...

And then she fainted.

* * *

><p>Ino was in the basement, waiting for the laundry maids to get clean towels for her. She needed to put them in the guest rooms' bathrooms because, according to the Housekeeper, they were indeed going to have three guest rooms occupied tonight. She sat on a chair, nervously stomping her heel against the floor and chewing on her lower lip. She was not anxious... she was <em>desperate,<em> and it was not because of the towels. It was because of Naruto Namizake.

God, she hated that idiot so much. She'd _always_ hated him. Well, not exactly hated him, because he was a nice person, though a little annoying sometimes, but she completely _despised_ him right now. Why, of all times and places, did he have to come now and here?

He obviously recognized her, and he obviously was going to ask someone what the hell she was doing there, and when they told him that stupid excuse about how she wants to "experience other things" and "get into other people's shoes" he was instantly going to know it was a lie because, even though they hadn't talked in years, he got to know her well enough when they were kids, and Ino hadn't changed that much: she was still the kind of person who would not clean someone else's house to save her life. Then, when he told people about it, they would start to suspect, and it was possible that they would find out that she was there because of Sakura and that Sakura was not a human... at least not a normal one.

She half groaned, half sighed, and leaned back on the chair, looking up at the basement's ceiling. Why? Why was this happening to her? They hadn't even lasted a week! What did she do to deserve this? Everything was going so well... Why did he have to come and screw it all up?

Ino knew from the beginning that working for people of their kind was a bad idea. She knew that, sooner or later, they would realize something was off about them. She had told her father so... but he had said that with the Uchihas they would be safe, because Fugaku and Mikoto had agreed to look after Hikari's daughter, even if she was a half-breed and that put them in danger. Knowing they had the bosses by their side had calmed Ino down, and for the past few days she'd thought they would come out of this one unharmed. They really seemed to be safe here. The Uchihas, one of the most powerful clans, protected them (well, not the whole clan, only its leader and his wife, actually, but still). Nothing should've gone wrong...

However, she never saw Naruto coming. She hadn't known he was Sasuke's best friend and used to visit him frequently. She never even_ imagined_ someday he, someone from her past, would suddenly come back into her life. Her not having been able to foresee all of that made her feel like it was all her fault.

But the worst thing about the whole situation was that she wouldn't be the one affected the most if they got caught. Sure, her family would be in great trouble for covering a half-breed, but Sakura would be even in bigger trouble, because her punishment would be death.

Ino was scared. Not only for her and her family, but for Sakura. For Sakura, more than anyone else. The poor girl would get the worst of it all, and she didn't even know it right now.

"You look upset."

Ino looked up to see TenTen standing before her, looking half amused, half concerned, and carrying a tower of folded white towels that covered half of her chin.

"Do I?" Ino asked, smiling bitterly.

"Yeah." TenTen put the towels on the washing machine besides Ino and leaned against it, folding her arms across her chest. "What's up?"

Ino shrugged. "Nothing. I'm just... tired, I guess. I want to go home." That was true. She was exhausted, maybe because of the stress, and really wanted to go home, but not to rest, but to talk to her parents. She needed them right now, to both comfort her and to plan what to do next.

But TenTen was not naive. "Come on, I've known you for more than three years now, and I know you well enough to know you're lying to me. If you don't want to tell me, fine, just tell me so. But I could give you an advice; you know I'm good at it."

Ino looked up at her friend and saw sincerity in her chocolate brown eyes. TenTen was a good friend. She was good giving advices, indeed, and she knew how to keep secrets. Ino liked to talk to her about her problems, and she had always done so, but she only told her about trivial stuff, like who she was dating now, who she had kissed in which party or what she thought about someone else, but she never talked to anyone about Sakura's real identity, only to her parents. Damn, she didn't even write it on her diary; it was just too dangerous.

But she wanted to talk to someone so much right now... She _needed_ it.

"Okay," she sighed. "But this is a secret, okay, TenTen? No one can know, not even Sakura." _Especially Sakura,_ she added mentally.

"Alright," the brunette replied, turning serious. She crouched down in front of her. "I promise to keep it."

"Good." Ino looked around, making sure no one was paying attention to them, and was glad to confirm the maids there were too busy to notice them. Still, she leaned closer and talked lowly. "I have this secret... and it's probably about to be discovered. No one knows about it, only my family and I. It's a very delicate subject, so don't be mad if I don't tell you exactly what it's about."

"Don't worry. I respect your privacy."

"Okay. Thanks. Anyways... I never thought someone would start to suspect about me. This was definitely unexpected, you know? And people hasn't find out yet, but I'm eighty percent sure this person will say something that might give me away."

"Ouch," TenTen said, grimacing. "So that's what worries you, huh?"

"Yeah," Ino replied. "But it's not the secret being discovered what worries me the most. It's that... You'll see, I'm not the only one involved in this. There's someone else, and that person might – no, _will_ get in even greater trouble than me if we get found out. And that person's safety is the thing I care the most about, you know? I'm scared for... that person."

"Oh, man..." TenTen sighed deeply and then looked at Ino right in the eye. "Okay, listen to me, Ino. You got involved in this from the beginning, and even if you wanted to or not, there's no turning back. And if you really care about that person..."

"I do," Ino whispered, and then she swallowed the lump in her throat down. She would not allow herself to cry.

"... then you have to be strong. For that person, and for you, as well. You have to do everything and anything to make that secret stay secret. Bribe, seduce or whatever that person who started to suspect about you and might give you away; do verything to keep his mouth shut...," she smiled, "but don't kill anyone, okay? And if the word has already spread, then lie. Lie your heart out, sweetheart. And deny. Oh, and even more important, get an alibi, a good alibi. That way no one will be able to prove anything."

"I don't think an alibi will be necessary since I didn't murder anyone," Ino said, smiling back, "but thanks for the advices. I'm sure they will be useful."

"I don't care if they were useful or not. What matters is if I made you feel better. Did I?" she asked hopefully.

Ino's smile widened. "You did. Thank you, TenTen. You're a good friend. And I wish I could tell you all the truth... but really, I can't."

"No worries, that doesn't matter." She stood up and took the towels, then gave them to Ino, who had stood up too. "Now go do your job, missy. They're not paying us for talking about our problems or giving advices."

Still smiling, Ino said goodbye and headed upstairs.

* * *

><p>When Itachi and Sasuke finished telling Naruto everything, the blond sat there for several moments, completely immobile, staring at his lap. His expression was blank, his eyes were unfocused, but he was burrowing his brow slightly. Sasuke guessed he was in shock.<p>

Finally, he opened his mouth and uttered calm, carefully thought-out words. "So that pink haired girl, whose hair is not natural and she's actually blonde, by the way... she's a half-breed?" He looked up at them, his eyes now wild. "Are you completely sure?"

"Not completely," Itachi said, "but let's just say we're ninety five percent sure."

"Then you're sure."

"Yes we are."

Naruto sighed deeply. "Okay. And you think Ino is here because of her, because she's her cousin and maybe it's her duty to protect her from being discovered."

"That's right," Sasuke said.

"It makes sense... But there is something off... Let me see... Oh, yeah! The fact that Hikari Yamanaka DOES NOT EXIST!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "That's what they want us to think, what they want the new generations, those who are too young to remember, to think, because they don't want the birth of a half-breed whose parents were killed because of creating her to become a historical fact!"

"But she existed, Naruto," Itachi added calmly. "We have the picture and mother's dream as proofs. They just don't want the young vampires to even know about her, because she is kind of a disgrace, and her last punishment is to be forgotten for the eternity."

"How do you know she and the human were killed?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Sasuke asked. "That's what they would do to any vampire and human that have a kid together. It's something illegal."

"And how did the girl survived, then? She's the one who was supposed to be eliminated."

"I've been wondering that," Itachi said, "and I think that, somehow, the parents managed to hide her before they were killed and then she was sent to the Yamanakas, who have been protecting her ever since then. That would explain why Ino is here, apparently just following her. Maybe she's her guardian or something of the sort."

Naruto leaned back on the couch and glared at the coffee table between him and the Uchiha brothers. "Then we should go ask her," he grumbled. Then, he leaned forward, rested his elbows on his knees and started massaging his temples. "Man, this is some serious shit... I just came to visit for a few days. How the hell did I get involved in this?"


	12. The agreement

Notes: A month without updating? Well, I pretty much suck, don't I? :c

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter eleven<strong>

_The agreement_

Blood. Everywhere. On the floor, on the walls, on the ceiling. Every inch of the room seemed to be covered in scarlet. Or at least that was all she saw, all she _could see_.

It smelled like... paper? Yes, wet paper. And smoke, as if someone had left something burning on the stove. Also, a lot like blood; the metallic, sweet smell was violating her nose trills, forcing its way down her throat and into her lungs, choking and torturing her.

Oh, God, it hurt! She glanced down at her body. Was it her imagination or she was smaller? Well, that didn't really matter. The huge scratch on her left side was more important than her size or anything else in this moment. It was a bleeding, stinging deep scratch that covered the left side of her stomach like an ugly, sadistic smile. It felt as if thousands of little animals were munching on her skin, trying to consume her, to end her life.

But she didn't want to die. She was as scared as she'd ever been, and she felt desperate, alone and sad, but something inside her told her to keep breathing, to find an exit to that ugly place covered in scarlet and find help, find _anyone_ to take her to the hospital and to the doctors that would heal her scratch and maybe make her feel a little better. She couldn't _die_ here!

She started to whimper, but she tried to force herself to stop. She continued walking, her sore right ankle making her limp. She was exhausted, but she had to keep moving, because she wouldn't be able to rest in a place like this. _When I'm safe,_ she promised herself. _I'll be able to cry when I'm safe, in a hospital room or in a safe place. Only then I'm allowed to cry. Now I just have to keep walking, to get away from these blood..._

"Sakura!"

A female voice. It sounded familiar. Who was it? It was not her mother, certainly. This voice sounded a bit deeper and more mature. Her mother's voice was sweeter, calmer, lower, more beautiful in some way. It was the voice of the love and the safeness.

But she would never hear it again, because she was gone. Her mother was gone forever, as was her father. That orange-lollipop-faced man had made sure of it.

She bit her lip tightly as tears started to flow down her cheeks like furious waterfalls.

"Sakura!"

Tsunade. Yes. The voice belonged to her, the tall, blonde, big-breasted woman who was her mother's older sister, the woman with the kind hazel eyes who always used to give her bubble gum and who gave her a huge house for her dolls last Christmas.

"I'm here!" Sakura screamed, and she almost didn't recognized her voice because it was incredible how broken, terrified and young she sounded. "I'm here, aunt, I'm here!"

She heard a couple quick, desperate footsteps at first, and then a small gust of wind made her short, blonde hair move and slap her cheek, and in a blink of an eye, her aunt Tsunade was right in front of her. The woman crouched down, studying her with wide, worry-and-fear-filled eyes, holding her shoulders so tightly it hurt, but the girl didn't care. The girl was too busy crying and feeling relieved to see a familiar face to notice anything else.

"Oh, Sakura," she said. "Are you okay, baby? Are your hurt?"

Still crying, she shook her head and pointed the scratch on her left side. Tsunade glanced at it and her eyes grew even wider with horror. "Oh my God," she breathed out. "Inoichi! Inoichi, come here! She's wounded!"

Inoichi, her uncle, her mother's only brother. He was there? Oh, good. More people to take care of her, to protect her while she cried.

"Sakura, honey, look at me," Tsunade whispered, and the girl obeyed, looking her in the eye through a blur of tears. "Stay with me, okay? If you feel sleepy, don't close your eyes, honey. I need you here with me. You cannot fall asleep, you hear me? Promise me you won't."

Sakura nodded, sobbing too hysterically to speak. But, even though she really wanted to keep the promise, she was just too damn exhausted, and soon everything started to fade away and the image in front of her started to turning blurrier and darker until everything she could see was black.

_Better black than scarlet,_ was her last thought before darkness engulfed her.

* * *

><p>Ino put the last couple of towels in the third guest room that was going to be used tonight and walked out of it, closing the door behind her. The corridor was empty and she didn't hear voices near, so she allowed herself to relax for a moment. With a deep, exhausted sigh, she put her back against the door and slid down until her butt touched the floor. She stayed like that for several moments, trying not to think. She just wanted to calm down, to rest.<p>

She hadn't done a lot today. She had had to prepare the guest rooms, but she hadn't done it alone. Her only kind of hard duty had been to bring the clean towels from the basement and then put them in each bathroom. She shouldn't be so tired... but she was. She guessed it was because of the stress. Ino seriously needed a break, or else she was probably going to die young.

Her eyelids started to feel heavy. What would happen if she fell asleep there? Would anyone notice? What would happen if she got caught? Would she get fired?

But... did any of that really matter?

"Just five minutes," she murmured, as if trying to convince that voice in her head that was telling her that she couldn't fall asleep during her shift, that it was wrong, that she'd get in trouble. "A short nap... only that... please..."

The voice eventually shut up and there was nothing but silence, both in her head and all around her. Slowly, her mind became numb. She was fading, fading, fading...

"Did you see the maid's face when we asked for her? Dude, she was like, what the hell! I bet you've never asked for a maid in specific before, huh?"

Her eyes snapped open and she jumped up as fast as she could. She was fully awake now, her guard as up as it could be. The voice, and the steps coming from the stairs, had scared her exhaustion away.

"Why would we ask for any maid in specific? They're all the same. Besides, I barely know the names of the ones that have been here ever since I was a child."

Sasuke. It was him. And the first voice she'd heard... It had matured a lot, but she remembered it well, because of the easy-going, ever-casual tone, perhaps. It was Naruto. Sasuke and Naruto... But Ino could hear three pairs of feet. Who was the other one?

And they asked for a maid in specific? Was that maid her? Did they want to talk to her? Oh God, had they already realized...? Well, of course they had. They were not stupid... or at least not that much.

Ino looked around. There was a window at the end of the corridor, but it was too far from her. Even if she ran as fast she she could, they would appear at the top of the stairs and see her just as she would be about to jump out. Maybe she could hide in one of the rooms, but what if they looked for her there too? The werewolf would be able to smell her, too. She could hide her smell of vampire, but not her smell at all. They would find her... and then realize she was hiding something because she was trying to run from them.

So she couldn't escape. She was trapped. She needed to think about what to tell them now. She had to act innocent, and if they asked her about her real motives for working here, she had to convince them that she really was there because of that stupid motive her father had come up with from the beginning. She just wanted to change her routine... to pop her bubble and face the real world... to earn her own money, to stop depending on her clan... Yes. Ino had to follow TenTen's advice and _lie_ until her tongue fell, because that was the _only_ way to protect Sakura. She knew they would not believe her, but she hoped they did; she really hoped so.

Ino took a deep breath and started walking towards the stairs just as the three people appeared at the top of them. The other person with Sasuke and Naruto was Itachi.

"Oh!" she exclaimed as she stopped walking, looking at them with the most credible expression of surprise she could manage on her face. She then smiled awkwardly and continued walking as if nothing had happened. "Good afternoon, sirs."

"Good afternoon," the three of them replied in unison. They had stopped moving when they had seen her, and were now blocking her way down the stairs. She noticed the way they looked at her. Naruto looked bewildered, as if he feared her; Sasuke was frowning, and she didn't know if he was confused or mad, but she guessed he was both; Itachi, on the other hand, looked completely calm. But even so, Ino could _feel_ they all knew, and that they wouldn't let her go if she didn't answer their questions. _Okay_, she thought, _bring it on, then_.

She stopped a few feet from them and, smiling curiously, she asked, "Uh, can I help you?"

"Actually," Itachi said, stepping forward to stand in front of the other guys, "yes, you can help us... and I'm sure you will."

If Ino hadn't been a vampire that could take the three of them easily, if she had been nothing but a weak human girl, she would've started to feel nervous and scared of them after that statement. She would've thought those men were going to rape her or something. But they wouldn't hurt her... they couldn't. Unless they wanted to get seriously hurt, of course.

"How?" Ino asked, starting to feel kind of excited. How long had it been since the last time she got the big challenge of fighting someone of her kind? Well, actually, now that she thought about it, she had _never_ fought a vampire _seriously_; she'd fought some friends, but just for fun, when she was fifteen and needed to train with some others of her kind because she was just starting to develop her adult vampire abilities. This could be her first real fight...

Sasuke stepped around his brother, took something out of his pocket and showed it to her, almost shoving it up her face. "The woman standing besides my mother. Do you recognize her?"

Ino's whole body tensed and her breath got stuck in her throat. All her excitement vanished and was replaced by shock, fear and sadness. However, she fought to remain expressionless; she couldn't show the emotions seeing that picture caused her, not now, not in front of them.

In the picture, there were five people, all of them young adults. On the middle stood Mikoto, looking Ino's age and wearing a beautiful wedding dress. By her left side stood two men, one of them was Fugaku, looking like a happy groom and holding her hand, and the other was Ino's father, Inoichi. At Mikoto's other side stood two women; one of them was Tsunade, Ino's aunt and currently comatose, and the other, who stood right besides Mikoto, laughing and wearing a pretty red dress, was Ino's other aunt, Sakura's real mother... Hikari.

Ino swallowed the lump in her throat. It was not only a lump of nostalgia from seeing her dead aunt looking so happy and beautiful, but also a lump of desperation. Where did they get that picture from? Ino thought any trace of her aunt's existence had been vanished... Did Mikoto keep that picture without anyone knowing and her sons found it?

"Oh my God," Ino murmured. "The madam... she looks so beautiful..."

"Answer my question," Sasuke demanded, his expression turning darker. Ino looked up at him and gave him a hard look, a look that said how much she disliked him even when he was pretty hot. Then, she glanced back at the picture.

"The woman besides your mother... the younger one?" she asked.

"Yes. Do you know who she is?"

Ino frowned, trying to look helplessly perplexed. "I don't know. She seems familiar. She's one of us, right? From which clan?"

"You tell us," Naruto said, coming to stand besides Sasuke.

"That's my father right there," Ino said, pointing at the man. "And Mr. Uchiha... the madam... that woman... and, oh! That's Tsunade, Sakura's aunt!"

"She's a Yamanaka," Itachi said, making her freeze. Only a few people knew Tsunade was Ino's aunt, her father's older sister. Ino had expected them to have no idea of it... but they seemed to be pretty well informed.

But Sakura was not as well informed as them. Sakura just thought the Yamanakas were her best friend's family, almost her second family as well, but had no idea the woman who adopted because she supposedly used to be her dead mother's close friend had the same blood as them running through her veins. And if they told her...

"Well, that's not her current last name," Ino replied, deciding there was no point on lying about that and that she could just hope they wouldn't mention anything about that to Sakura. "She still has her dead husband's last name. But yeah, she's part of the Yamanaka clan, she was born in it. What's up with that?"

"She's your aunt, is she not?" he asked, and she nodded, already knowing where all of this was leading but still trying to appear innocent. "And if she's also Sakura's aunt... then you're cousins, aren't you?"

"Kind of," she replied as her pulse started to quicken. She glanced back at the picture and kept her eyes fixed on it. She feared that, if she looked at them in the eye, her knees would start to shake. "Tsunade is actually her adoptive mother, but Sakura has always called her aunt instead of mom, I'm not sure why. She's my best friend but also my aunt's adoptive daughter, so yes, we're kind of cousins, I guess."

"And who is her real mother, Ino?" Sasuke asked casually, putting the picture back into his pocket, forcing her to look up at them again. "You should know if you're her best friend."

"Sorry, I know nothing about that," Ino said, glaring at him. She felt as if she were being interrogated by cops, and that was starting to annoy her. "We don't talk about her past because she doesn't remember much. My aunt adopted her when she was like three years old, almost immediately after their parents died. We met because of that, but also because we went to the same school. But if you really want to know so much about Sakura, ask her, not me, please."

"Just one more thing," Itachi said. "First of all, let us be honest: you don't really want to be a maid, Ino, we all know that. After all, you're one of us. We never do that kind of stuff. And you're a heiress. Did you let your parents force you to do this? Or is there any other motive you're here?"

"I just want to earn my own money, and the paid is good here," she said bluntly. She knew it was a lame excuse, the lamest she could have given, but she couldn't think of any other else.

"So... Sakura working here too has nothing to do? " the older Uchiha asked. "You're not here because of her?"

Ino stared at him murderously. "I don't know what you're talking about, and I have a lot of work to do. So, if you excuse me..." She tried to step forward, but none of them moved, and they were still blocking her way down the stairs. "Please move," she said lowly, "or else I'll hurt you, and if I do so I'll get fired, and I really want to keep working here so-"

"She's a half-breed," Sasuke blurted out. "We know it, Ino. Stop pretending."

Three pairs of wide eyes fixed on him. Time seemed to freeze for several moments. The only thing Ino could hear were her own rapid heart beats. It felt as if all of them held their breaths during those frozen seconds.

Suddenly, Itachi sighed. He then turned to her and said, "That's right. We know. But... we won't tell anybody."

* * *

><p>Sakura gained back consciousness. The first thing she noticed was that she was surrounded by a bunch of people, most of them female, who were wearing the same outfit. They were the kitchen maids, the head kitchen maid and the cook, and they were staring at her, concerned and confused, as if she had suddenly grown a horn.<p>

"Are you okay, girl?" one of the maids asked, frowning.

Sakura nodded. She felt a bit dizzy, confused and stupid, and her left temple felt sore, but apart from that she was fine. She opened her mouth to ask how long she'd been gone, and shut it closed again. Her lower lip stung. She rose a hand and touched it. There was some kind of bruise there. How had that happened?

"When you fell, we couldn't catch you on time, so you hit your head and your teeth crushed against your lip, causing that," another maid explained, pointing at her lip. "Here, take this," she added, handing her a bag of ice. "Press it against your head. That will do something for the swelling."

Sakura obeyed. The ice felt good against her skin. She knew she probably had a huge bump there, though she didn't actually feel it, but she didn't want to touch it to know how bad it was. She would stay away from mirrors too, at least until she got home.

Briefly, she wondered how she would explain the swelling to Shizune and to her friends. "Oh, it's nothing. I just cut my finger as I was chopping some carrots, what by the way I didn't really want to do, and, for some stupid reason, maybe because of the shock of seeing my blood, which is scarlet, if you didn't know, and that reminded me of the weird nightmares I've been having ever since the accident, I fainted and hit my head against the floor. Hilarious, isn't it?"

"Can you stand up?" the cook asked her, and she nodded. She stood, but her dizziness made her lose her balance for a second. The man held her arm to keep her from falling, and she smiled at him gratefully, but then grimaced. Stupid lip.

"I'm so sorry I caused all this trouble," she said awkwardly, trying not to move her lip a lot. "I just... I don't know. I'm so stupid..."

"Don't worry, honey, it's okay," the cook said, letting go of her. "You cut your finger, right? Well, we all have a phobia of something. It's okay."

Sakura raised her eyebrows and parted her lips to explain him that no, she was not hematophobic, that she didn't faint when she saw blood, that this was the first time something like this happened and she was not sure why, but decided there was nothing wrong about them thinking that. Actually, it was better than them knowing the truth.

"Now, why don't you go rest a bit?" the head kitchen maid said, approaching her, as the crowd dispersed. "Someone else will finish those carrots. Oh, and get the Housekeeper to give you a band aid for that." She pointed at her hand. Sakura held her cut finger up. It was still bleeding a bit.

After apologizing once again and thanking everyone for being so kind, she left the kitchen, holding the bag of ice against her temple. The last time she'd seen the Housekeeper, she'd been in the backyard, supervising the gardeners as they did some stuff to the roses. She hurried to find her, hoping she wouldn't run into anyone; she didn't want to be seen in that state, wounded because of fainting for the second time in that house.

As she walked, she thought about the dream she'd had while she was unconscious. It had been extremely weird, perhaps the weirdest she'd ever had, and that was saying a lot. Again, the color scarlet had had something to do, so she considered it another of her many nightmares. But that didn't really matter. What mattered, at least to her, was the plot of the dream.

Apparently, she'd been younger in the dream, because she remembered seeing her body smaller. Also, she'd been wounded and scared. She'd been in a house which walls and floor had been splattered with blood, as if a gory massacre had taken place there minutes ago, though she hadn't seen dead bodies. Then, Tsunade had appeared. Sakura remembered she'd looked slightly younger. Also, Sakura had thought about her mother, the real one, the one she knew only because of seeing pictures of her, whose voice she didn't even remember very well, and she'd thought she was dead, and that her father was dead too, and that a man with an orange lollipop as a face had killed them.

Absurd. Senseless. Impossible. Those were the words she decided to use to describe the dream.

To stop thinking about it, Sakura wondered why she had fainted. Had it really been because the blood reminded her of her nightmares? If so, why did that make her pass out? Did it shock her that much, as much as seeing Sasuke had? She didn't know.

She tried to remember the last thing she had thought before she passed out. Sakura had seen the blood and had been surprised she was so damn clumsy, and then maybe she was reminded of the pool of blood she'd dreamed she swam in... and then everything turned black.

Maybe the stress she had been feeling at that moment made her lose consciousness. It was possible. And maybe she was sick or something. She thought she'd go to the doctor later, just to check if something was wrong with her. She hoped not; that was really the last thing she needed: to be sick and unable to work.

Sakura stepped out of the house, sliding the glass door behind her, and spotted the gardeners by the bushes. She walked towards them, squinting at the glaring sunlight. It was probably five in the afternoon and the sky was going to darken in only an hour, but the dim sunlight still bothered her. Maybe her eyes had adjusted to darkness for too long...

"Um, excuse me," she called, and the three gardeners stopped and turned to her. "Was the Housekeeper here?"

"Yes, but she already left," one of them replied.

"Oh. And do you know where she is now?"

"She must be inside, but I don't know exactly where. She usually just goes around supervising everything."

"You'll have to look for her all around the mansion," another gardener said. "Good luck with that."

Sakura sighed. Great, exactly what she wanted: to have to go around the house, showing herself and her swelling to anyone she encountered. Just _great_. "Okay, thank you. Goodbye."

As she walked back into the house, she decided she would just go ask Mrs. Uchiha instead. Mrs. Uchiha had to know where her Housekeeper was... and she was kind; maybe she'd give her the band aid herself. But where would she be right now? Her husband was in a boring business meeting and there was nothing important to do until dinner was ready... If I was Mikoto Uchiha, she thought, where would I be in this moment?

The answer of the question turned out to be obvious once she said it mentally. Preparing a good excuse to say to the woman, Sakura skipped up the stairs and headed to the last floor of the mansion.

* * *

><p>Ino was baffled at first. Then, she was incredulous. Then, she was angry. "Do you think I'm stupid?"<p>

"Only a bit," Itachi confessed, earning a deathly glare from the Yamanaka. "But that's not the point."

Ino sighed deeply, trying to be patient. She really didn't want to hurt them, not because they didn't deserve it, but because she could get fired. Besides, violence was not good... until they completely pissed you off, of course. "Why would you do that?" she asked calmly. "Why would you hide a half-breed in your house? It seems you know a lot, so you must also know it's very dangerous to do that, because it's illegal, and if someone finds out, your family can be severely punished. They could even take all your fortune away and turn you into servants for another rich vampire family. I heard they did that to a family, back in the time when some of us were stupid enough to protect a half-breed."

"You and your family protect her," Naruto said. "Why wouldn't the Uchihas?"

"Because _we're her family!_ Sakura is my cousin, the daughter of my father's little sister. She has Yamanaka blood running through her veins, mixed with her human father's blood. She's part of us and we love her. We would never let her die."

"Her mother was our mother's best friend," Itachi said. "They were like sisters. So, technically, she's kind of our cousin as well."

Ino stared at him for a long moment, glanced at the other guys, and then finally back at him. "Quit it," she said. "I know you're not doing this only because of that. Tell me the truth."

Sasuke sighed deeply. "There are two other reasons we want to keep this secret," he started. "The first is that our parents keep it, so if they find out we know it too, they'd force us to keep it too, or else they'd probably disown us or something. That's the least important reason, since we could easily tell someone else before they even found out we know it, and we really wouldn't care to own their hate to protect our family. The most important reason we want to do this is that...," he looked away, as if embarrassed, "believe it or not, we don't have the heart to do something like that. They'd _kill _her. And we don't even know her well enough to know if she deserves it. And she seems so fragile and vulnerable..."

The three looked at him thoughtfully. He hadn't said that to Itachi when they had agreed to keep the secret. It was the first time he ever spoke what he thought about Sakura out loud, and they all agreed with the description, even Naruto, who met her today. Sakura was indeed fragile and vulnerable, but not weak; strength was visible in her eyes, yet she was too innocent and timid to show it. Even if one knew her for years or for less than a day, one could realize she was not the kind of person who deserved to be murdered, in spite of what she was.

"Also," Itachi added, "it is not her fault. She didn't choose to be a half-breed, did she? It was kind of her parents' fault, for taking the risky decision of having her if they both knew what would await for her once the others found out, or for not being careful. But it's also our society's fault, for being so cruel and close-minded... because, half human or not, they are still one of us. They're still people."

Ino was surprised, but also very relieved and... moved? Yes, moved. She had never imagined they would think that way. They were nice people, apparently, and they seemed sincere. They really didn't want to give them away, and they were right to say Sakura didn't deserve to die in such way: murdered only because both vampire and human blood ran through her body, something that was not even her fault.

"Thank you," she said lowly, a soft, small smile appearing on her face. "You have no idea how relieved I am. Thank you for not being one of those heartless, stupid people of our kind. Really, I appreciate it."

"Don't thank us," Sasuke said, folding his arms. "It's just the right thing to do. I don't know why it surprises you to see we're not evil. You don't even know us and you were already assuming we would let her get killed like that?"

"One has to expect the worst things," she replied with a shrug.

"Okay, okay," Naruto said, rising his voice. "Now that we've all made up and became friends, can we move on to another subject?"

"What?" Ino asked confusedly.

"Well, if we're going to keep this secret," he explained, "at least tell us all you know about it. Like why you girls decided to work here, for the Uchihas, or what happened after, you know, her parents were-" His head jerked to a side. He pressed his lips together and sniffed the air a couple times.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked, frowning.

"Someone is coming," the blond replied lowly.

"Human?"

Naruto sniffed the air once again. "No... Wait, yes... Yes, it's human. And female; her perfume smells like strawberry. But there's something off with the smell. Besides the human smell and the perfume, there's something acrid and bitter and heavy, like..."

"Like a vampire's smell," Ino said, her face darkening.

Naruto looked at her with wide eyes. "I'm not sure... but..." He sniffed once again. "Yeah, sort of like that."

"It's her," Itachi said, turning to Ino, who nodded grimly.

"Who?"

"Sakura, you idiot," Sasuke hissed at his best friend. "We have to hide. She can't see us here together, talking like we're best friends. She might suspect or something."

The others nodded. When Sakura passed by that floor, she had no idea three vampires and a werewolf were hidden in one of the guest rooms, with their ears pressed against the door, attentively listening to her footsteps, and she never knew they all burst out of the room once she was gone, complaining about who touched who where and accusing Naruto of crushing them against the door.


	13. The moment

**Chapter twelve**

_The moment_

Sakura knocked once and, almost immediately, Mrs. Uchiha called, "Come on in!"

Hesitantly, Sakura obeyed. She turned the knob slowly, trying not to make a lot of noise, and pushed the door open. Her heart skipped a couple beats when she looked inside. She'd dreamed of this room before, a lot of times, but had never really been there. It felt so weird and... overwhelming. She could almost see herself back into those dreams, wearing a pretty white dress, admiring the beautiful moon from the window, the vampire appearing...

"Hi, Sakura!" Mikoto greeted cheerfully, and Sakura turned to her and smiled politely. The woman was sitting at the desk in the further corner and had a piece of white cloth in one hand and a needle in the other. She was smiling happily, her dark eyes wide and awake.

"What a surprise to see you here," she said as Sakura closed the door behind her, and then frowned at the ice bag the girl was holding against her head. "What happened?"

Sheepishly, Sakura started to tell her what happened and why she was there. When she finished, Mrs. Uchiha looked concerned. "You should really visit a doctor," she said.

"Yeah. I think I'll go tomorrow."

"Very well. Oh, and if you're sick, honey, don't worry, we'll still pay you the month."

Sakura's green eyes widened. "What? Oh, no, madam, that's really unnecessary! I... I'm fine. Really. I just... maybe I haven't been eating well enough. I'll fix that, don't worry."

"Okay," the woman said, smiling sweetly. "Anyways, I don't know where the Housekeeper is, either; the last time I saw her was in the morning. But I have band aids; let me give you one." She turned in her chair and opened the upper drawer of the desk. As she started to walk towards Sakura, she commented, "I have a lot here because sometimes I cut my fingers while I'm sewing." She handed her a pink band aid. "Here. Oh, and come on, take a seat."

Sakura thanked her and sat on the couch on the middle of the room. Mikoto sat by her side.

"Have you finished your duties? Your shift is about to end, isn't it?" the dark haired woman asked casually, crossing her slender pale legs. She was wearing a black wool sweater that looked simple but very elegant, a gray skirt that ended right above her knees and black low-heels. Sakura wondered why she was always wearing dull colors like those; they looked good on her, but brighter colors would look pretty good, too. Actually, anything would look good on that woman, and Sakura half admired, half envied her for that.

"Yes, I've finished them," Sakura replied, putting the bag of ice on her lap, and then started to fix the band aid around her finger. "And, uh, that's right, it ends at six."

"Oh." Mrs. Uchiha glanced at a clock hanging from the wall. "Well, it's not even five yet; you have time to kill. Why don't you have dinner in the kitchen? It is served until six but the cook and the maids are fast; they must have already finished it."

"Um, I'm not hungry yet, thank you. Besides, I promised my cousin I would have dinner with her."

Mikoto raised her perfect eyebrows. "Cousin?"

"Yes. Well, we're not really related. And we're actually sisters."

"Well, that's confusing," the woman laughed.

Sakura laughed too and blushed slightly. "Well," she started, "it's just that my aunt adopted us both. Shizune is my adoptive sister, but I see her as a cousin, because I see Tsunade as an aunt. Tsunade is the woman who adopted me when... when I became an orphan. She was a good friend of my mother, they were like sisters, and I prefer to call her aunt, while Shizune calls her mom, and she and I call each other cousins. We're a confusing family," she admitted, grinning.

Mrs. Uchiha stared at her with a sweet, thoughtful look, as if her story had moved her, and then giggled. "We all have confusing families. A family that isn't confusing, is no fun at all. But, tell me... how have you and your cousin been doing after the accident?"

Sakura was slightly surprised the woman was suddenly interested in her life, but she thought she was probably just trying to be polite... and to help her kill some time, maybe. "We've been doing fine. Shizune is doing well in school and she likes her job; her bosses are really nice. We've been better since I started to earn money too; now we can pay all of the bills, including my aunt's hospital, and even treat ourselves with things like buying dinner from that restaurant we like so much. It's all been alright."

"I'm glad," Mikoto said sincerely, and then asked softly, "And how is your aunt?"

Sakura sighed deeply and smile softly, sadly. "Nothing has happened... Doctors say her head injury is not so bad and that she should wake up at any moment... but she hasn't. It's been a month already. I don't know if she's ever going to wake up."

"Don't say that, honey," Mikoto said lowly, putting a hand on her arm. "You know? My son, Itachi, is studying medicine, and he tells me about what he learns sometimes. Once, he told me about people in comma, and he told me that even a person with small chance of recovery may eventually awaken."

"I know that... but still... it's hard," Sakura said, trying really hard not to cry in front of Mrs. Uchiha. She sensed she was going to fail, so she hurried to change the subject. "Uh, but anyways, you said your son is studying medicine? That's really great."

Mikoto giggled. "I know, right? I think he would be a better teacher, but he seems to like to help people; he's a really good boy... well, man. Oh God, sometimes I can't even believe he's twenty three! I still see him as my little boy. But he's really a man; he's even engaged. That girl is going to steal him from me very soon," she said, smiling sadly.

"When is the wedding?" Sakura asked.

"They haven't decided yet. He already proposed, she has the ring and everything, but they haven't touched the subject ever since the celebration dinner we made in their honor a couple months ago. She's out of the country, but when she comes back, I'll start to bug her about it. And I'm so excited! I love weddings, and I'm planning on making my son's the most beautiful ever! But you know? I always wanted to have a girl; it would be so fun to help her pick the dress and all of that... Oh!" she exclaimed suddenly. "Um, Sakura, I know this may sound weird but... would you let me help with your wedding?"

Surprised, she laughed. "Oh! Of course. If I ever get married, that is."

Mikoto laughed happily. "Oh, thank you, thank you! You've made me the happiest woman!"

Sakura giggled. "And what about your other son? Will you help with his wedding, too?"

The woman's face fell. "Oh, I don't know about Sasuke. I'm not sure he'll ever find a girl to marry. Not because he's not good looking, but because of his personality. He's so... _grumpy_ sometimes. And picky; there are a lot of girls that would do anything to be his wife, but he wouldn't marry any girl: he says he needs to find the right one. I just hope he finds happiness."

"What does he study for?" Sakura asked. She didn't know why, but she suddenly wanted to know more about that guy.

"He doesn't know yet, so he's just reviewing hard subjects with Mr. Hatake until he takes a decision."

"Are they both still home schooled?"

"They've always been. They dislike schools with other kids. Itachi thinks teachers don't give you enough attention when there are many other students; Sasuke just hates to be harassed by the girls." She giggled. "He's gets so grumpy about that. But what can he do? He has to misfortune of having her beautiful mother's looks!"

Sakura giggled. Mikoto had been joking, but it was true: he was as beautiful as his mother, of course girls would like him. Hell, in other kind of situation,_ she_ would've been one of his fan girls.

"But tell me, Sakura, are you liking your job?" the woman asked.

Sakura nodded and smiled. "I was very lucky I found it," she said. "The pay is great, you are all really nice... I'm very happy this happened."

Mikoto smiled. "You deserve to be happy, sweetie. You really do."

Sakura thanked her and briefly wondered why the woman looked at her like that every time she told her something about her life. There was always a mix of love, pity, sadness and longing in her dark eyes. Sometimes, it made her feel that the woman knew something about her that she didn't, as if she knew her better than Sakura thought she did. It was weird, but it was nice. Mrs. Uchiha was nice. And that was what counted.

* * *

><p>They went to the study. There, Ino told them everything. She really didn't want to do it, but they were allies now, they all had the same purpose: to protect Sakura. They deserved to know if they were going to help.<p>

"Alright," Naruto said when she was done. "So it's like this: Hikari met the human; they fell in love; they married in secret; they decided to take the risk and have a kid, because they were so in love they were idiots."

"I'm not sure about that part," Ino corrected. "I just told you what I _think_ that happened. But no one really knows why they wanted to have a kid. They knew the risks, they weren't so stupid... but, whatever, continue."

"Okay. Then, Sakura was born; then, they got killed but they hid the girl so that she wouldn't get killed too; then, Tsunade adopted her and erased her memory with the help of a wizard. And now, here she is, not studying because, in a car accident, Tsunade got comatose, and now she needs to be independent, so your father asked the Uchihas if they could give her a job and, since Mrs. Uchiha was Sakura's mother's best friend, they said sure, no problem. Oh, and you're here too to take care of her, in case someone finds out what she is."

"Or in case her instincts are awaken and she freaks out or hurts someone," Ino added.

"Oh, yeah, that. By the way, you really don't know when they will?"

Ino shook her head. "And I'm getting desperate, because I have to care of her and follow her around until it happens. It sucks."

"Why you?" Sasuke asked.

"Because I'm her cousin. Because I'm her best friend. Because I love her." She shrugged. "It's a responsibility I hate, but I don't have the heart to quit. Only_ I_ can take care of her."

Itachi sighed. "Okay, we know all we need to know. So the deal is this: we are not going to say a word about this; we'll keep pretending we don't know anything and treat Sakura as any other human maid. You, on the other hand, will take good care of her, and you'll be responsible to hide her identity. If some visit finds out what she is, it'll be your fault if we get punished, Ino. Do you understand?"

"I don't need _anyone_ to tell me what I already know that I have to do," she said arrogantly. "But yes, I understand, whatever."

"Good," Itachi said. "Just one more thing. What will happen when her instincts are awaken? What will we do?"

Ino thought for a moment, playing with the hem of her skirt. Finally, she replied, "I'm not sure. She'll find out what she is and everything else I've just told you, of course. My dad will explain it all to her. She'll have a crisis but then she'll move on. I guess we'll train her personally; we can't send her with other vampires, because she's too old: they'll realize she's not normal. And then... I have no idea. No one knows much about half-breeds because they're practically non-existent, and I've never met another half-breed before. I don't know how they... work. But I'm guessing Sakura will want to go away, out of the country, and build another life; you know, travel a lot and get away from the people she knows... from the vampires that may want to kill her. Maybe we'll never see her again."

"In her place, I would do that," Sasuke commented. "Someone will notice the new pink haired vampire and realize she'd a half-breed, and then they will start to chase her. She needs to get away."

"I guess so," Ino said. "But, really, sometimes she can be unpredictable. Who knows? Maybe she'll stay in the country, hide... or maybe she'll just keep a low profile and stay away from our kind."

"Maybe she'll be in denial," Itachi added thoughtfully. "She may not accept it and decide to move on with her life as a human."

Naruto sighed. "Well, we'll only find out when it happens."

* * *

><p>Smiling and thanking, Sakura stepped out of Mikoto's "office" at five in the afternoon to let the woman finish the blouse she was fixing for an important event in the weekend and to go eat something (as she talked to Mrs. Uchiha, she started to get a bit hungry, but she wanted to have dinner with Shizune, so she would have only a small snack). As the door closed behind her and she started to walk to the stairs, she realized it was always nice to talk to Mikoto – to be with her; she felt safe and appreciated by her side, the same way she used to feel with Tsunade. Maybe it was just that the woman reminded her of a mother; after all, she kind of treated her like a daughter.<p>

_You don't know how lucky you are to have her, Sasuke_, she thought suddenly, and that thought brought a sense of nostalgia with it.

Not for the first time in her life, she wondered how it would've been like to have her real mother alive and with her. How would she have been? Would she have been kind, over-protective, cold, or cheerful? Would she have been the type of mother who doesn't care about her kids and ignore them, or the type of mother who is always checking her kids are behaving and doing well?

An image appeared in her mind as she started to walk down the stairs, the image of a blonde, beautiful woman with dark blue eyes, smiling widely and blushing slightly, looking young and innocent but strong and brave at the same time. The image of her mother, more than eighteen years ago, only a few years before she died.

Sakura remembered what Tsunade had told her when she first showed her that image. She'd been five years old and she hadn't remember much about her parents, only that, one day, those kind people she loved so much didn't come back from their trip to Europe. They hadn't been killed by a man with a weird mask; that was only what her twisted imagination had come up with for her most recent nightmare.

"She's your real mommy, Sakura," Tsunade had told her as she stared blankly at the picture in her tiny hands. "That picture was taken little after she married your daddy and only a year before you were born. Do you remember her, sweetie? Do you remember what's her name?"

Sakura had looked up then and had seen her aunt smiling hopefully and looking at her with tears in her hazel eyes. She'd looked so sad, even though she'd been smiling, that it had scared her. She looked down at the picture again.

"I know," she'd said lowly. "She's my mommy. She is in heaven now... but she's watching me from there, isn't she?"

"Of course," Tsunade had said. "She always will be taking care of you, even if she's not here."

"I do remember her," Sakura had murmured. She hadn't cried that day, but she would never forget how empty her chest had felt as she said those words. "How couldn't I? And her name... her name is pretty. I like it. It's Hikari."

Tsunade had hugged her then, half crying half laughing. Then, she'd showed her a picture of her parents together and had told her to keep both pictures. Sakura still had them. They were safely kept in her night table's drawer, under her diary.

But those were just memories. Tsunade had become like a mother to Sakura, but the girl saw her like a really close aunt, not like a real mother, unlike Shizune, because Sakura had loved her mother, even though she barely remember her now, and no one could ever replace her. She never really had the chance to know how it was like to have a mother like Mikoto, one that would get excited about your birthdays, one that would help you pick your clothes, one that would teach you to be a woman... one that would help you plan your wedding. And she would never have it.

Holding tightly the bag of melted ice in her hand, Sakura swallowed the lump in her throat and kept walking. To stop thinking about depressing things, she wondered what kind of snack she would have. Maybe an apple; maybe a bowl of entreé soup, as she'd heard the cook call that delicious green soup once.

In the kitchen, the maids were taking a break. The dinner seemed to be ready to serve. Sakura guessed it would be served punctually at six principally because she'd heard Mr. Uchiha's meeting would end at that hour. The visits would be ready to eat when business is over.

Sakura found the cook. After assuring him that she was alright now and showing him her band aided finger, she asked him if she could have a small snack before she left. "Of course!" the cook replied. "Have whatever you want, darling."

Sakura smiled thankfully and proceeded to serve herself a bowl of today's entreé soup, which was orange. As she did so, someone called her name from behind. She turned her head and saw Ino walking towards her, smirking.

"Hey," the blonde greeted. When she saw Sakura well, she frowned. "What the hell happened to you?"

Sakura sighed deeply and started to explained her she'd fainted, hit her head with the floor and crushed her lip against her teeth, and that she'd probably go see a doctor tomorrow. When she was done, Ino nodded solemnly. "Yep, you definitely gotta see a doctor. I don't want you to be sick, honey." She smiled and then looked at the soup. "You're going to eat now?

"Yeah, I'm hungry," Sakura replied. "But I promised Shizune we would have dinner together, so I'm just having a small snack. Um, do you know what this is? It's freaking orange..."

Ino giggled. "Probably carrot soup. It's good."

"Oh. Carrot." She remembered the carrots she'd been chopping before she fainted and suppressed a smile. So that's what they had been for... "Okay, I'll try it. It can't be so bad. Besides, I'm starving."

While she ate (it turned out to be delicious), Ino told her about her "boring" day, as she'd called it. "The most exciting part was when I found a ten-yen coin on one of the guest room's floor," she said. "My day was _that _lame."

Sakura smiled. She thought her day hadn't been so lame, but she wished it had been different. Her day had been kind of awful. Fainted, got a bump in the head, cut her lip... Yeah, it definitely could have been better.

She finished her soup. Ino was now talking about not knowing if she felt like partying tonight, but Sakura wasn't paying attention to her. She was staring at the empty bowl, frowning, because she was still hungry; she felt as if she hadn't ate anything at all. And she was thirsty, too, so she told Ino to pause for a moment, stood up and went for a glass of water. She gulped it all down in less than ten seconds.

"Wow, slow down, girl," a maid who had seen her laughed. Sakura smiled sheepishly and blushed.

"Sorry, I'm just really thirsty," she explained as she served herself another glass of water. She drank it all and then stared at the glass incredulously. She was still very thirsty and hungry.

* * *

><p>Ino was boringly examining the tips of her blond hair, wondering if she should cut it or not. She loved her long hair, but it was annoying sometimes; it got fluffy on cloudy days and sometimes it bothered her, so that was why she used tie it. If she cut it, she wouldn't have to tie it anymore. But how would she look like? When she was a kid, she wore short hair, and she didn't look bad, but she was older now. What if it didn't suit her anymore?<p>

Suddenly, her thoughts were violently interrupted when a wave hit her face like an angry slap, a wave of air carrying a new, disturbing smell that hadn't been there before. It was penetrating, bitter, odd, but the worst thing was that she thought she knew what it was. It smelled like vampire... but it smelled like human too... and like something else, something she couldn't put her finger on. It made her want to gag and run away at the same time.

The name came to her mind immediately: _Sakura._

She looked around for her and when she spotted her, she hurried towards her, suppressing the urge to run as fast as she could, because there were humans around them. As she walked, her heart hammering in her chest so loudly she thought the others could hear, her skin cold in the outside but boiling in the inside, Ino desperately tried not to panic and to think what to do. First of all, she had to get her out of there, out of the house, away from the vampires who didn't know about her: the visits. She could get her to the garden... and then find Sasuke or Itachi and tell them to help her. She couldn't manage this alone.

"Sakura," Ino said, touching the girl's shoulder. Sakura turned her head and stared at her blankly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm hungry," she said, frowning confusedly. "And thirsty. I drank and ate, but..."

"I know," Ino said, understanding what was going on and why. She wasn't so surprised because she'd already been expecting something like that. "Let's get out of here, alright? Let's have some fresh air, and then we'll fix this."

"Uh... okay," Sakura replied, dumbfounded. "But... Ino, what the hell is going on? I feel like the soup and the water were nothing but air. I should be satisfied by now."

"It's alright," Ino said, trying not to panic. "Let's just get out of here, okay?"

Still, frowning, Sakura nodded and followed her out of the kitchen. As they walked, Ino focused on inhale and exhale, inhale and exhale, keep calm, don't panic, it'll be alright. But a voice in her head kept screaming, terrified, that it couldn't believe this was finally happening. She never thought it would happen like this, in this moment, in this place.

This day hadn't been boring or lame at all. It had been so weird and horrible, Ino couldn't wait for it to end.


	14. The thirst

**Chapter thirteen**

_The thirst_

As she hurried to follow Ino's quick steps towards the garden (why were they going to the garden? Oh right, for fresh air), Sakura could barely concentrate on what was going on. Everything around her lost its sense, objects were blurry and sounds were unintelligible. The only thing clear in her mind was that she was hungry and even more thirsty. Her stomach was growling; she could feel the stomach acids torturing her inside skin. Her mouth was dry, her tongue felt like a rock, and her throat was so so tight...

It was burning. Her throat was engulfed in agonizing fire. That was why it felt so tight. She needed water... no, not water; she'd already drunk that, and it did nothing; actually, it made it all worse. But what did she need, then? What could calm that horrible sensation?

What the_ hell_ was going on with her?

She was scared and confused and even angry, because being so helpless made her extremely mad. However, those emotions were hiding at the furthest corner of her mind, and their screams were muffled by a thick wall and she barely noticed they were there, because the thirst and the hunger were so overwhelming she couldn't focus on anything else...

Fresh air did nothing. It all stayed the same. She turned to Ino and pleaded, "Ino, help me. I... What's _wrong_ with me!"

"Calm down," Ino said, grasping her shoulders very tightly... too tightly. The pain stole Sakura's attention from her agony and she yelped. Ino let go, embarrassed, and apologized.

"I didn't know you could be so strong..."

"That is what desperation does to me." Ino's smile was nervous, scared, fake. "Okay. Stay here, alright? Breath in and out; I promise you will feel better. I'll go get you something. Just wait, okay? And don't go."

Sakura nodded, thinking there was nothing else she could do besides obeying her. At least Ino seemed to have a solution. If she were alone, she wouldn't have idea of what to do.

"I'll be right back," her best friend promised as she started to walk away.

"Wait!" Sakura called. "Ino... you know what's going on, don't you? Do you have something to do?"

The blonde stared at her with a mix of fear, sadness and panic in her eyes. "I can't believe this is happening right now," she finally said. "That's all I can tell you now."

And then, she left.

* * *

><p>"Fragile and vulnerable."<p>

Sasuke looked up from his book and raised an eyebrow at his older brother, who was sitting at his desk, with a pencil on his hand and his notebook opened in front of him. He was not writing, not anymore. He was now looking at him with a mix of thoughtfulness and amusement.

"I don't think you have ever called a girl that," he said, balancing his pencil between his long, pale fingers. Suddenly, the pencil fell from his hand, but instead of going all the way down to the floor, it started to float upwards. "Or that you ever will do it again."

At first, Sasuke didn't understand what he was talking about, but then he remembered. Fragile and vulnerable... He had called the half-breed that. "What's with that?"

Itachi shrugged as the pencil fell back into his hand. "You sounded different when you said that about her. I was just thinking about that. Sorry I interrupted you."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I just said what I think about her. It doesn't mean I like her or something."

"Hey, I never implied any of that," his brother said, but his tone said that he did.

Sasuke sighed and looked back at his book. "You're disgusting. I would never get involved with a half-breed. I'd rather fall for Karin than for her."

Itachi laughed. "Well, now you've really offended the poor half-breed girl."

In spite of himself, Sasuke smirked. "Shut up and let me read, Itachi."

Before his brother could say anything else, the study's door suddenly snapped open and Ino stormed into the room. Both Sasuke and Itachi rose to their feet in the moment they saw her face. She looked so frightened, pale and desperate Sasuke thought she would burst out crying before she could utter a word, but she didn't.

"Guys... I need your help."

* * *

><p>Sakura was sitting on the grass, cross legged, like a little girl in a park. She knew that, if someone saw her, the head house maid, for example, she'd be in great trouble, even if she'd already finished her duties, because her shift was not over yet, and a maid couldn't be seen like that. But she didn't care. She gave a damn about the head house maid and about everyone else. She wasn't thinking straight because of the agony in her throat and stomach, she knew that... but she didn't care about that, either.<p>

For the fourth time since Ino left, she glanced at the door and saw no one was coming. That was good; no one had seen her yet. But she was desperate for Ino to arrive and bring whatever she thought would help her. Why was she taking so long?

Sakura looked up at the sky. The sun was hiding and its dim light made the clouds look beautiful; it was the kind of sky one saw in religious paintings of baby angels. Its beauty almost – _almost_ – made Sakura forget about her dry mouth, grumbling stomach and burning throat.

She was sick. Really sick. She'd fainted for no reason, and now this; what other proof did she need? She was sick and was probably going to die, or at least she wouldn't be able to work anymore. And then what? What Shizune earned wouldn't be enough. They wouldn't be able to pay the bills. Hell, maybe they wouldn't even be able to buy food! But the worse of it all was that they wouldn't have the money to pay for her aunt's hospital bills. And if the bills weren't paid, what would happen?

Tsunade would die. The hospital wouldn't want to take care of her anymore. She would die comatose.

Imagining a world without her aunt, the woman who had practically raised her, who had taught her how to live, made her eyes water. She would usually bite her lip and try to be strong, but she didn't feel like being strong today. She was in pain, both physically and emotionally, and she wanted to cry – _needed_ to cry.

So she let the tears run.

* * *

><p>Itachi had just handed Ino the bag of blood when Naruto stormed into the room, slamming the door behind him. He looked furious, but terrified as well.<p>

"What's going on?" Sasuke asked, annoyed and kind of scared at the same time. One didn't see Naruto like that everyday.

"I went to the kitchen," the blond started, speaking very lowly instead of screaming, which made him look even more scared, "for a glass of water. But when I was there, I smelled something. It was not food, not human, not even vampire..., but a mix of those last two things and... something else. Something I've only smelled once, and very faintly, but this time it was so strong it... it...," he grimaced, "it was disgusting."

Ino sighed shakily and ran a hand through her pale face. She looked five years older and very tired. "They had awaken," she murmured, her eyes closed. "Her instincts. She has thirst... of blood."

"What," Naruto whispered. His eyes were so wide Sasuke thought they would pop out. "Now?" Ino nodded, and he exhaled deeply and ran a hand through his hair. "Oh God. Why now and here? Mr. Hyuga is in the meeting! My Dad too! They'll smell her, and tell the others, and then... Shit," he hissed, and walked towards the couch to sit besides Sasuke.

"They won't know what they're smelling," Sasuke said, trying hard to sound calm. "They'll smell vampire, human and something else they won't recognize, but they'll think it's the food or something. The real problem here is not if they smell her, but if they _see_ her. Does she have fangs?" he asked Ino.

"No," the girl replied. "Not yet. But she looks... like shit. She's in pain."

"We've all been through the first thirst, we know how it is," Itachi said, and then added, "Except Naruto, of course."

"I've been told how it's like," said boy commented, shrugging. "It's kind of like the first time a werewolf turns into a wolf. Every part of your body hurts like hell."

"We need to get her the blood," Ino said. "But I can't bring her this bag and tell her to drink it; she'll think I'm crazy. And I can't explain it all to her right down; only my Dad can do that. I'll call him, but she needs to drink and calm down first."

"Mix it with something else," Itachi said, and then turned to his younger brother. "Go get some of your tomato juice, Sasuke."

"Why me?" he protested. The three shot him a look that made him sigh, stand up and reluctantly say, "Fine, I'll go."

"Hurry," Ino called as he stepped out of the study, her voice shaking with anxiety.

* * *

><p>Sasuke was fast. He came back just as Ino hung up the phone. She'd called her father to tell him what had happened and to ask him if he could come pick them up. The conversation had been quick; he'd been shocked, but he'd stayed calm. His calmness had calmed Ino down a bit.<p>

Sasuke put on the desk an unopened bottle of his favorite juice. Ino hurried towards it, unzipping the bag of blood. She looked at the bottle, then back at Sasuke. "Drink it," she said.

Sasuke frowned at her. "What?"

"The juice. Drink a bit. The bottle is full and there's no space for the blood. Only a few sips. Come on."

The Uchiha rolled his eyes but didn't protest. He opened the bottle and started to gulp the red liquid down. When it was enough, she said, "Okay, give it me." He obeyed and she proceeded to replace what he had drank with the blood.

When she was done, she closed the bottle and shook it so that the liquids would mix. The, she turned to the Uchiha boys. "Thank you," she told them sincerely. "Really. I don't know what I would've done without you."

Itachi sighed. "Always a pleasure to help you, Miss Yamanaka."

Ino nodded and then left with the bottle in her hands. She practically ran down the stairs and to the garden. There, she found Sakura sitting on the grass, her body shaking, her face hidden behind her hands. Alarmed, the blonde hurried towards her cousin, knelt down and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Sakura," she called. "Sakura, I'm here."

Slowly, the girl stopped sobbing violently and uncovered her face. She looked up at her, and when their eyes met, Ino's breath got stuck in her throat.

Her green eyes were so green they were almost blinding, and her pupils were like cat's; her skin was as pale as it had ever been, almost white like the snow; her features, already beautiful, looked even more stunning, and there was suddenly something extremely womanly in her, seductive and passionate, that would make any man fall in love.

She looked like a vampire. A hungry vampire.

"D-d-drink this," Ino stuttered. She heard her voice coming from very afar. "Hu-hurry, Sakura."

"What is it?" her cousin asked hoarsely.

"Just drink it. It's good."

Sakura looked like she wanted to protest some more, but Ino guessed she was so desperate she didn't care about anything else anymore, so she just opened the bottle and drank. She gulped it all down in less than a minute and without even breathing.

The blonde watched her, fascinated, scared and feeling really, really sorry for her. She'd always felt sorry for Sakura, because she was a half-breed, because she didn't have parents, because she had no idea of what she was, because she would never be free, but right now, as she watched her face slowly starting to look human again, she pitied her so immensely she felt like crying for her.

When the bottle was empty, Sakura handed it to her, gasping for air. Her mouth was open and Ino saw her sharp, long fangs. They came back to normal in a couple seconds. "What... was that?" she asked between gasps.

"Juice," Ino replied. "Now, come on, let's get inside. It's almost six, so we should go change already. Oh, and Dad is coming to pick us up. My car is not working," she lied.

The pink haired girl nodded, and Ino helped her up. She still looked kind of weak, but her cheeks were gaining color, and her eyes looked tired and puffy from crying, but calm.

As they walked towards the sliding glass door that led into the mansion, Sakura asked, "What was that? What you gave me. It made me feel better."

"It was juice. I already told you."

"What _kind _of juice?"

"_Tomato_ juice." She glanced at her best friend and cousin, met her glare and sighed. "Listen, I'll tell you later, alright? Now let's just go home. I'm tired."

Sakura didn't say anything, although Ino could feel her discomfort and confusion. She guessed she just wanted to go home already, too.

* * *

><p>Just as they were about to exit the staff room, TenTen stepped in. When she saw them, her smile instantly vanished and she frowned. "What happened?"<p>

Ino wondered how affected the looked. Sakura had been crying, and that was clear, but what about Ino? Did she look_ that_ exhausted? "Long story," she told the brunette, smiling softly. "Dad's coming to pick us up. You coming with us?"

"Uh, sure, I guess. I don't have any other ride home," TenTen said, smiling back. "Just give me a minute, okay? I'm gonna change."

"We'll be in the kitchen," Ino told her. Her friend nodded, and then she and Sakura stepped out of the room.

As they walked, Ino glanced at Sakura. She'd been extremely and disturbingly quiet ever since they came back into the house, and, though her expression was blank, her puffy eyes screamed bewilderment. She smiledsoftly at her as they sat on the bench where the staff sat to eat. Around them, the maids and the cook were fixing the food they'd prepared on the expensive porcelain plates of the Uchihas.

"Are you not hungry anymore?"

Sakura looked up at her and shook her head, her expression not changing.

"Good." Ino shifted awkwardly. She hated to see her cousin like that. "Um, listen... When we get home... can you call Shizune and tell her you'll be a bit late?"

Sakura's expression did change this time. "Why?"

"We need to tell you something," Ino said. She always knew she'd tell her those words someday and used to be eager for that day to come, but finally saying them seemed so _surreal_... and she kind of wished she had had to say it a bit later.

"Who?"

"My Dad and I."

Sakura's eyes were wide and seemed unable to believe what they were seeing. "_Why?_"

"Just do it. Please. You wanted me to explain to you what that juice was, right? We'll explain you that and more."

Sakura stared at her for a few moments, and then sighed and closed her eyes. "You're scaring me, Ino. Seriously, I don't know what the hell is going on and I'm really exhausted... I just want to sleep until tomorrow's afternoon."

"Believe me, I want that too _so_ badly."

Sakura nodded and ran a hand through her dyed pink hair. Briefly, Ino remembered the day she'd told her she'd dye it that color. They had been thirteen and Sakura's hair had been of its natural color: dark blond. When she told her about her decision, Ino had yelled at her, called her crazy and even promised her she'd never be seen in public by her side. But, in spite of all her threats, Sakura ended up doing what she wanted. Eventually, Ino came to think it looked pretty good on her.

"What a shitty day," the green eyed girl said. "Really, the shittiest ever."

"You couldn't have described it better," Ino said, and she thought, _And it's not even over. The worst part is yet to come, Saks. _


	15. The revelation

**Chapter fourteen**

_The revelation_

Mikoto's heart was fluttering in her chest as she hurried down the stairs. She'd seen Sakura sitting on the grass, crying, from her window, and had also seen Ino coming and giving the girl a bottle of red liquid. After drinking it, Sakura had calmed down, and then the two girls had went back inside. In the moment they were out of sight, Mikoto had practically run out of her office.

She understood it all. It was too clear, too obvious... too possible. Not even the stupidest person wouldn't get it.

Before she had run out of her office, she'd glanced at the clock on the wall; it was exactly six o'clock. She'd thought a maid would be interrupting the meeting to announce the dinner was ready right now, and when she got to the second floor she realized she'd guessed right. The maid was exiting the room, closing the door behind her, and when she saw Mikoto, she bowed slightly. Mikoto nodded at her and stood by the door as the younger woman walked away.

When the door opened, Fugaku was the first to step out. He seemed slightly surprised to see her, but then his expression turned grim. "What happened?" he asked lowly.

Mikoto wet her lips. "Sakura," was all she said.

After twenty four years of marriage, she and Fugaku knew almost everything about each other, and sometimes they didn't need more than a look to communicate thousands of words. This time, he just needed that name to understand it all. His skin turned slightly paler as he nodded and turned around to tell the men behind him, in his best easy-going tone, "Gentlemen, you will have to excuse me for a moment. My wife and I have to talk about next weekend's event. Please go to the dining hall; we will meet you there in a minute."

The leaders of the five allied races nodded, not intrigued about his excuse at all, and headed down the stairs. When they were out of earshot, Fugaku turned to his wife and asked, "When?"

"Minutes ago," she said lowly as they stepped into Fugaku's office. "I was in my office and I spotted Sakura from the window. She was sitting on the grass, crying. I was about to go to her when I saw Inoichi's daughter coming and handing her a bottle of red liquid."

Fugaku's eyebrows rose. "Was it...?"

"I think so," she replied. "After she drank it, she seemed to calm down."

He nodded thoughtfully, leaning against the big, round table and folding his arms across his chest. "I just hope Hyuga, Namizake and the boys won't smell her. Either way, we'll be in great trouble."

Mikoto sighed. "Yes. What do we do now?"

"Go have dinner with our guests." He smirked. Mikoto noticed, not for the first time, that he smirked the same way their younger son did. "Inoichi will take care of her; it's not really our business now. We have to pretend everything's okay."

She sighed deeply, nodding. "I'm just so afraid for her, Fugaku... Can you imagine how it will be for her to find out what she really is and why her parents are dead? And she's so young... It's going to be too much for her. Poor girl," she whispered as her husband put his arms around her, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"You said it before," he said. "She's strong, like Hikari. I think she will be fine."

"I hope you're right," Mikoto confessed.

* * *

><p>Inoichi arrived to the Uchiha mansion just as the dinner started and the people started to eat the entreé. Sakura, Ino and TenTen were waiting in the entrance hall. The brunette noticed how quiet her friends were and she was really uncomfortable, but she decided to keep her mouth shut instead of trying to make them talk, because it was obvious the did not want to talk, so why force them?<p>

When the bell rang, Ino rose up to her feet and was about to open the door before she remembered it was not her house. So she waited for a maid to go get it.

However, she was surprised when Mrs. Uchiha came from the dinning room. The woman walked pass them, smiled, and Ino noticed the discreet look of concern and pity she gave Sakura, but said girl didn't, or at least pretended she didn't.

Mikoto opened the door and smiled widely when she saw Inoichi. "Mr. Yamanaka! What a nice surprise to see you here!"

"Hello, Mrs. Uchiha," Ino's father greeted politely. "It is a surprise to see you here, too. I was expecting a maid to get the door."

"I had a feeling that you would come," the woman said, "and I wanted to say hello. It's been a long time, huh?"

"Indeed it has. I cannot wait for the day you and your family will join us for dinner."

"Oh, I hope it happens really soon. Perhaps this next week."

"That would be lovely."

Mikoto turned to the girls and smiled again. "And why is it that you came to pick them up? Normally, Ino would drive them in her car."

"It isn't working," Ino said, rolling her eyes. "That piece of trash is getting old. Tomorrow I would love to go see some new cars, Daddy."

"Good. I hope you have the money to buy one, sweetheart."

Mikoto, Ino and TenTen laughed. Sakura just smiled dryly.

"Well, we will keep your car safe here, Ino, don't worry," Mikoto said. "You can send someone to pick it up later."

"Thanks a lot, Mrs. Uchiha."

"Well," the man said, "I think we should get going. It's almost dinner time. I'm sorry if I interrupted you, Mrs. Uchiha."

"Don't worry," the woman said. "It's always nice to see an old friend. I'll call your wife later to talk about that dinner, okay?"

"Perfect," Inoichi said, and then turned to the girls. "Let's go, kids."

They said good bye to Mikoto. When Sakura turned to leave, Ino saw the woman staring at her back with a look that said that she already knew what had happened. She had no idea how she knew, but she did. In her dark eyes, a mix of pity and fright was clear. And Ino was glad to see she was not the only one that felt that way for Sakura.

The girls stepped out, and Inoichi stood by the still-open door. "Go to the car," he told them. "I'll meet you there in a minute."

Ino nodded, understanding he had to have a few words with Mrs. Uchiha, and hurried her slightly confused friends down the steps that led to the mansion's entrance.

* * *

><p>Mikoto's expression was distant, sad, and her eyes started to water in the moment the girls were out of earshot. "I can't believe it has happened now and here," she whispered. "I... I really can't believe it. I knew it would happen some day but, I don't know... I thought it would be way later. I mean, this was supposed to happen when she was thirteen or so."<p>

"She's not a common case," Inoichi said.

"I know. But I thought that, if it had already been taking so long, it would happen a few years ahead. Why now? She's eighteen... Why at this age? Did something happen that caused this... unexpected incident?"

"I don't know," he said sincerely, "but I wish I did. She's a really discreet girl; if something has been changing or something, she wouldn't have told us, because she doesn't like to worry us. She's kind of stubborn, hates to ask for someone else's help. That's just the way she is."

She smiled softly. "Just like her mother."

Inoichi smiled back. "Yes, just like her."

"Are you prepared, Inoichi? Are you ready to reveal all of those secrets to a girl like her?"

The Yamanaka thought for a moment. "No," he finally said. "I don't think I would've ever been. No one can be ready to do this kind of thing. But... it's my duty. Tsunade would've been the best person to do it, but she can't right now. There's no other way; it has to be me."

"I think you will be alright," Mikoto said. He smiled gratefully. "But, what I fear the most, is how she's going to take it."

The man sighed deeply. "I'm very afraid of that, too. She's... unpredictable. I just hope she's really as smart as she seems; smart enough to not do anything reckless."

* * *

><p>The tension was almost palpable in Mr. Yamanaka's car. TenTen kept biting her nails, nervous and uncomfortable. She was sitting between her two best friends. Ino, at the right, was staring through the window, absent-minded; Sakura, at the left, had her eyes fixed on her lap. Both of them were dead quiet. Mr. Yamanaka was very silent as he drove, as well.<p>

This whole situation was so uncommon... Normally, Ino would talk and talk, TenTen would say sarcastic things to her, and Sakura and Mr. Yamanaka would just laugh at them. That was what she was used to. This radical change was scaring her.

When they got to her apartment complex, TenTen was relieved to get out of the car. Ino opened the door and got off the car to let TenTen out. When she was standing on the sidewalk and Ino had gotten back into the car, she thanked Mr. Yamanaka for the ride, who just nodded shortly at her, telling her it was nothing. Then, she turned to her friends and smiled awkwardly.

"Uh, see you on Monday, girls," she said. Ino smiled softly and said goodbye; Sakura didn't even look up from her lap.

TenTen turned around and started to walk up the steps the led to the building's door as the car drove away behind her. As she got her keys out of purse, she wondered if the girls had had a fight or something. It was possible.

When she stepped into the building, her friends' problems were forgotten, because she was suddenly too glad to be home after that long, long day to care about anything else.

* * *

><p>When they arrived home, Sakura followed Ino silently, like a ghost, into the house. The blonde told her to use the phone to call her cousin and tell her that she was going to be home a couple hours late. Sakura nodded and headed to the living room. There, she found Mrs. Yamanaka sitting on the couch and watching TV.<p>

"Oh!" the woman exclaimed when she saw her and then slowly rose to her feet. She looked weird... too surprised to see her there. "Sakura. You're here."

"Good afternoon, Mrs. Yamanaka," the girl replied, and she discovered her voice sounded like a zombie's. She cleared her throat. "I'm going to use your phone to call my cousin and tell her I'll be here for a couple hours, so that she won't worry."

"Oh, sure, go ahead." She turned the TV off and smiled stiffly. "Um, are you staying for dinner, honey?"

"No, thanks, I... I already ate something at work."

"Really? What?"

"Soup. Carrot soup." _Even though that did nothing for my hunger,_ she thought.

"Oh. Good. Well..." The woman turned towards the stairs. "I'll be upstairs... If you're still hungry, let me know, so I can prepare something for you, okay?"

"Okay, Mrs. Yamanaka. Thank you."

"Alright. Have fun."

As soon as Ino's mother was out of sight, Sakura turned and took the phone, which was resting on a table besides the largest couch. She dialed her own number and then pressed the phone against her ear.

While she waited for Shizune to answer, biting her middle finger's nail, she thought of the answer she would give her cousin when she asked why she was staying at Ino's for a couple hours. Sakura was not very sure herself. Ino had said she and her father would explain something important to her; the pink haired girl didn't know what that would be, she just knew it had something to do with that supposed tomato juice her best friend gave her and with that weird burning in her throat that had been torturing her almost an hour ago.

And that it, somehow, scared her.

"_Hello?_"

"Shizune? It's me, Sakura."

"_Oh, hey. Why aren't you home yet?_"

"I'm at Ino's," Sakura explained as she sat on the couch. "I'll be here for a couple hours, okay? If you're too hungry, eat dinner without me. I know I promised we would eat together... Sorry."

"_Oh, don't worry about that, it's fine. But why are you there? Normally, you come straight home, too exhausted to hang out with your friends some more._"

"Yeah... It's just that today..., today something came up and... Ino says there's something she and her dad need to tell me, and I think..." She sighed. "You know what? I'll tell you about it later, when I get home... and when I finally find out what the hell is going on."

Shizune was dead quiet for several moments. Just when Sakura was about to ask if she was still there, her cousin said, _"Okay. It's alright. I, uh... I'll be waiting for you. Take your time._"

"Thanks. See you later."

"_Yeah, see you. And, um, Sakura?_" Shizune asked hesitantly.

"What?"

"_Please come straight home. No matter what happens, just come, okay? We can talk. We... I'll be here for you, Sakura. Don't forget that._"

She frowned, confused and slightly freaked out, but just said, "Okay, I will. Thanks."

"_Bye_."

"Bye," Sakura said, and then hung up and put the phone on its place.

She stood up and headed to the kitchen, where Ino and her father were waiting for her, sitting at the squared table where the family used to have informal meals. When she walked in, the two of them looked up at her, looking worried and nervous.

"Sit down, Sakura," Mr. Yamanaka said, nodding towards one of the two unoccupied chairs.

Hesitantly, she obeyed. When she sat, they were silent for a moment that seemed an eternity. The man and the girl stared at her intensely, and Sakura suddenly felt naked. She pressed her arms against her body and played with her hands on her lap.

Finally, Ino's father sighed deeply and leaned his elbows on the table. "I don't know how to say this, I really don't, and I'm desperate and a bit panicked. I don't want to babble and make this long, so I will burst it all out in one simple and short sentence. The only thing I expect from you is that you remain calm."

Sakura nodded. Her pulse had quickened, adrenaline ran through her veins. She didn't want to hear what he had to say, she really didn't, but something told her that she _had_ to.

"Very well." Inoichi paused, closed his eyes, as if to muster up, and then... he said it.

"You're a vampire, Sakura. A half-breed vampire."

* * *

><p>When Shizune hung up, she slumped on the couch with a tired sigh. It had been a boring day at work, she was exhausted and felt a bit depressed, but Sakura's call had made her day even worse, even when she thought that couldn't be possible. Now she felt completely and utterly miserable, and, oh, there was something new: she was worried, very worried. She thought the last time she'd felt so concerned had been when she sneaked out of the orphanage and had to walk on the streets at night, completely alone and fearing someone or something would come out and hurt her.<p>

Shizune started to massage her temples, feeling her face stiff and dry, as she wondered what she would do when Sakura got home... _if_ she got home. It was probable that Sakura would want to escape for a day, or maybe a week, or a month, who knew; in that case, she would have to look for her and bring her back – what else?

But, in case Sakura was smart enough to not let her emotions control her, she would have to talk to her; that would be the hardest part of the whole situation, because what the hell would she say to her? She was just her adoptive sister (well, cousin); she was just a human adopted by a vampire that swore to keep the secret of their existence. She knew nothing about calming down a half-breed that recently discovered what she really was.

She didn't know how Sakura would react to the situation; that was why she was contemplating more than one possibility. She knew the girl ever since they were both kids; when they met, the day Tsunade found her and brought her home from the streets, she had been ten years old and Sakura had been five. Thirteen years knowing that green eyed girl... and yet Shizune felt like she knew nothing about her. It was just that Sakura was so... reserved; she didn't talk a lot about her feelings or her problems, at least not to her. She knew she did trust her... but Sakura was just like that; she preferred to keep things for herself, to never ask for people's help. Sakura liked to fix things by her own, and that made her a bit mysterious, because she almost never showed her real self... Shizune still had a lot to learn about that girl.

Perhaps the only person that truly knew Sakura was Tsunade. Not her friends, not her cousin, but her aunt. Tsunade had been by Sakura's side ever since she was a toddler, ever since her parents died, and she knew her better than anyone else, because she _raised_ her. There was no one else that could handle her better than Tsunade... but she was not available; she couldn't take care of this right now. And Shizune had to take her place.

"This wasn't supposed to be my responsibility," she said at loud, burying her face in a pillow. "I don't want to do this... I can't!"

But there was no one else. Only she, Tsunade, Ino and her parents, and Mr. and Mrs. Uchiha knew about Sakura's real nature. The Yamanakas were doing their part right now; the Uchihas couldn't do more than giving Sakura a job and keeping her secret; now Shizune had to do Tsunade's part, because no one else could.

_Be strong_, she ordered herself as she stood up and headed to kitchen to eat the dinner she'd bought for her and Sakura. She guessed she could eat all she wanted; she didn't think Sakura would come home feeling hungry.


	16. The monsters

**Chapter fifteen**

_The monsters_

Sakura blinked. Then, slowly, she smiled. "You're _kidding_ me, right?"

Inoichi stared at her, frowning, but with soft eyes. "You're half vampire, half human: a half-breed vampire. Your mother was a vampire. Your father was a human."

A dry chuckle emerged from her throat. "_What_?"

"Sakura, I know it's hard," Ino started, her eyes fixed on the table, "but you have to-"

"Do you think I'm stupid or something?" the pink haired girl interrupted. She was not amused anymore; now she was just plain angry. Why did they do this to her? Didn't they see she had had a horrible day? Why were they _mocking_ her!

Inoichi stared at her patiently. "No. We think you're very smart. That's why I ask you to-"

"Well, it doesn't seem like it. It seems you're making _fun _of me. Why? I don't know. But let me tell you something..."

"Sakura, we're not-!"

"I'M NOT AN IDIOT!" Sakura cried, slamming her hands on the table. She had tears in her eyes. "I'm not an idiot, and I will not let you play this kind of game with me! I've had a terrible, confusing day... I don't need anymore crap from _anyone!_"

Sakura broke down crying. She was not even sure what she was crying for. She felt humiliated, yes, but not enough to cry. Maybe she was just letting it all out... Maybe the stress of her day made her feel like this... Or maybe it was her time of the month. Who knew. Who cared. She just wanted to cry.

They let her cry for a few minutes, and then, when she seemed to calm down a bit, Inoichi spoke again. "I understand this seems senseless. But... I can't think of any other way to put it. You're a _vampire_, Sakura: end of story. Just... just try to consider it, okay? Only for a moment, imagine it's possible."

Said girl looked up at him and made a disgusted expression. She opened her mouth to tell him he was crazy, but then her brain replayed what it had heard from him. Consider it? Imagine it was possible? That wouldn't be very hard, would it? But... it was _ridiculous_. It was like trying to believe that maybe Santa Claus did exist.

Vampires were nothing but monsters from horror novels by authors with a very wicked imagination, nothing but creatures humans created to amuse others and kill some time. According to what she knew, they were diabolic beings that seduced humans to suck their blood, which was the only thing that could keep them alive, their only food and water. They also had fangs, like a dog's, could run very fast or even fly, and were killed by sunlight, garlic or religious things... How realistic did that sound?

Vampires didn't exist. They were as real as mermaids and fairies.

_But... what if they do?_

Sakura bit her lower lip. If vampires did exist... then they were evil. They were _supposed_ to be evil demons, products of Satan, or whatever. They hurt people and stuff; they were mean. So she couldn't be one. She was good, wasn't she? She had never killed... not even a damn fly.

_Sakura Haruno a vampire? _She smirked bitterly. _Yeah, right._

"I... I can't," she said, shaking her head and still smirking. "I can't be that. It's not possible."

"_Why_ isn't it possible?"

Sakura looked at Ino's father as if he'd just asked the stupidest question she'd ever heard. Then, she sighed. "First of all, vampires are _not_ real; they're creatures from books and old legends people came up with. And even if, by some strange and absurd reason, they do exist, why would _I _be one? Besides, wouldn't I have noticed it before?" She laughed, because it was too damn funny how ridiculous this whole situation was. "I'm sorry, Mr. Yamanaka, I don't mean to disrespect you, but I think you have some _serious _mental problems. And so does your daughter. So please, both of you, get a psychiatrist."

She stood to leave but a pair of hands slammed on her shoulders and sat her down. Alarmed, she looked up and behind and saw her best friend looking down at her with a serious expression on her face. Sakura's eyes widened. She glanced back at the chair the blonde had been sitting just a moment ago, and then back at her. "How did you-?"

"_Just consider it,_" Ino said through gritted teeth. She sounded irritated but also slightly desperate. "Let's pretend vampires exist, let's pretend they're not precisely evil, let's pretend you're really one of them but had never noticed it before until now,_ okay_?"

Sakura stared at her, baffled, and then asked lowly, "How would I not notice it? Wouldn't I be supposed to... I don't know, feel like biting someone's neck? Wouldn't I catch fire under sunlight? Wouldn't I not be able to get into churches?"

"All of those are nothing but lies," Mr. Yamanaka said grimly. "They are... prejudices. Of course there are fictional vampires... but there are fictional humans as well, aren't there? Humans with super strenght, that can fly, that can read minds, that can breathe under water... Vampires with no souls, affected by sunlight, enemies of God, killers of innocent people... Those characteristics are the ones people came up with; they're _lies_."

Sakura was horrified, because he really seemed to believe what he was saying. _Oh great_, she thought, _now I'm trapped in a house with these psychos._ To keep herself from panicking, she decided to consider what he was saying. And, who knew? Maybe if she pretended she believed them, they would let her go.

"Alright... But... I'm only half vampire, right? My other half is... human. Because my mom was a vampire and my dad a human... right?"

"Yes," Inoichi said, "that's right. That is why you're a half-breed vampire; we call the vampires of your kind that. You didn't notice what you were before because, like all vampires, you were born human. Usually, a vampire would awake their natural instincts and have the need of blood, develop their gifts and all the other things when they hit puberty. But you're a half-breed; that is why your instincts awoke today, when you're already far from puberty and very close to adulthood. The burning sensation in your throat, for example... that was caused by your recently awaken thirst of blood."

"What I gave you," Ino said from behind her, "what made you feel better, was tomato juice mixed with blood. When you drank it, you were satisfied because of the blood. You needed it."

For a moment, Sakura was distracted by that shocking revelation, but she focused back on the topic. "Okay. I get it. But aren't vampires undead beings? How is it possible that my mother gave birth to me being _undead_?"

"Again, that is a lie," Inoichi said patiently. "Vampires are not undead; they're as alive as humans. Their hearts beat, blood runs through their veins... they even eat food when they feel like it. My sister gave birth to you like any other human woman would have."

Sakura raised her eyebrows. "Wait, your sister? What do you mean with that?"

"Your mother was my father's younger sister," Ino said.

"Are you _joking_?" She started to laugh again. "Okay, now _that's_ impossible My mother couldn't have been a Yamanaka! I don't remember her last name before she became a Haruno, but it definitely was _not_ Yamanaka. Besides, if that's true, then that would make you guys my uncle and my cousin, my only other family in the world. Why the hell would you let a stranger adopt me when my parents died?"

"Tsunade is not a stranger," the man said.

"Now she's not, but she was! Not exactly, because she was my mother's friend, but she was not my family. Why didn't you adopt me, then? Why did you never even tell me we were related?"

"Tsunade is my sister as well," Inoichi explained calmly. "She is the oldest, and she decided to be the one to take care of you. I would've done it as well, but she decided to do it herself. I didn't protest because I knew you'd be in good hands."

Sakura froze. "_What?_" She laughed nervously, shaking her head. "Okay, okay, I can't do this anymore. I really can't. This joke is _not _funny at all."

She stood and this time Ino didn't stop her. Inoichi stood up as well, and for a moment she thought he would try to stop her and she panicked, but then he started to walk towards the fridge. He opened it and took something out. Sakura looked at the object, perplexed. It was a bottle, and through its transparent glass she could see it contained a scarlet liquid.

"Is that _blood!_" she blurted out, horrified.

Mr. Yamanka didn't reply. He started to open the bottle, with his stern blue eyes fixed on her. Sakura watched him, not believing this was happening. She had to be dreaming. There was no way this could be real.

But in the moment he took the lid off, the thoughts racing through her mind vanished; they simply disappeared, evaporated in the air. Suddenly, the only thing she could think if was in that smell: metallic, sweet, seductive, delicious... and it was coming from that bottle.

A pair of hands grasped her arms from behind as she took a step towards that exquisite smell. Sakura struggled to get away, but the hands were very strong, the grip was iron-like. She guessed they were Ino's. She was hurting her, but Sakura barely noticed. The only thing she cared about was that smell.

Mr. Yamanaka put the lid on. Ino let go. Suddenly, the smell disappeared.

Slowly, Sakura's tensed muscles relaxed. "What was that?" she asked, perplexed and breathless. She hadn't even noticed she'd been panting. She felt her mouth dry and a burning sensation in her throat... similar to the way she'd felt in the Uchiha mansion, but less torturing.

"This is blood," Inoichi said, raising the bottle in his hand. "You smelled it and you desired it. Because..."

"You're a vampire, Sakura," Ino finished for him. "Do you believe us now?"

Sakura glanced at her blonde best friend, then at her father, and then back Ino. She wanted to say that no, she still didn't believe them, she still thought this was a ridiculous joke and that they were nuts. But she found herself unable to say that, because she was suddenly very confused... she was suddenly _really_ starting to think that what they were saying could be possible.

It made sense, too much sense. Vampires went crazy with blood. She'd felt crazy a moment ago. She hadn't been thinking reasonably. She'd felt like a hungry animal near a piece of raw meat, like a thirsty man in a desert who had found an oasis. No human felt that way; it was not normal.

Sakura's legs started to shake, and she sat back on the chair before she lost her balance. Her heart was hammering very loudly in her chest, her hands were shaking, and she felt clumsy, tired. "_How_?" she squeaked. "How can it... how can I... how... _Ugh_!"

She felt a hand on her left shoulder, and then Ino said softly from behind her, "We'll leave you alone for a moment so that you can think. Is there any other question you want to do before we go?"

Sakura snorted. Any other question? More like _thousands _of other questions! She was so confused, so dumbfounded, so lost in this situation... She'd just been told her whole life had been a lie, for God's sake! How could they think she wouldn't have questions to do?

"I just... Just leave me alone," she finally said. Her voice sounded weak, but so normal, so calm, she was slightly surprised. "I know there are many more things you need to let me know, but... I need some time to... process this information."

"As you wish," Mr. Yamanaka said. "We don't want you to be put under even more stress."

"Yeah, thanks."

"Okay," Ino said, slightly hesitantly. "We'll be leaving now... We'll be in the living room. Call us when you feel ready to hear the rest."

Sakura thought she would _never_ be ready to hear the rest, but she nodded anyways. She just wanted to be left alone already.

* * *

><p>When Ino and her father stepped into the living room, Mrs. Yamanaka instantly stood up from the couch. The TV was on, but Ino guessed, by the anxious look on her mother's face, that no one had been watching it.<p>

"How is she?" the woman asked, clenching her fists against her flat stomach.

"In shock, as we'd expected," Inoichi replied, slumping on the couch. He looked fatigued.

Mrs. Yamanaka gasped. "Oh god. Do you mean she's, like, in catatonic state?"

"No, no... fortunately, not," the man said. "But she cried. And she looks like she can pass out at any moment. But I think she's fine. She just can't believe it."

"Who would believe it?" Ino said bitterly, sitting next to her father. "She's just been told she's not a human. If, for example, someone tells me I'm not a vampire but a, I don't know, a _wizard_, I would be disbelieving too."

"But she didn't even know vampires _existed_," Mrs. Yamanaka pointed out. "Actually, it would be as if someone told you you're not a vampire but a... but an alien!"

"I think aliens do exist," Ino commented. "We can't be alone in the universe."

"You get my point," her mother said slightly frustratedly. "Her life has changed completely today. From now on, nothing will ever be the same – _she_ will never be the same. We need to give her the time she needs... I think she's a strong girl; sooner or later, she will understand everything and just be willing to move on, to go on with life, human or not."

"But there are so many things we have yet to explain her," Inoichi said, massaging his temples. "We told her she was a vampire, what her parents were, and that Tsunade and her mother were my sisters. But there are so many other revelations left... We have to tell her about her parents' deaths, about how half-breeds are seen in our society, about how her body will start to work now that her instincts have been awoken..." He sighed deeply. "I don't know how I will do this."

"I'll help you, Daddy," Ino said softly, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry."

"You are not alone, Inoichi," Mrs. Yamanaka said, sitting next to her husband and putting an arm around him.

"I know," the man replied. "Thank you. But... I wish Tsunade would be here to do this instead of me. She would've been better at this."

Ino knew it was impossible to know if what her father said was true or not, but she had a feeling that, indeed, Tsunade would've make it seem easy.

* * *

><p>In the kitchen, Sakura was also thinking about Tsunade and wishing she was there to help her get through this. The girl had her elbows on the table and her fingers buried in her hair, grasping it tightly. It was as if she was holding on to her head so that she wouldn't lose it, because, indeed, she felt as if she was starting to lose her mind.<p>

This was insane. This was impossible. This was... senseless. No, not senseless, just... too _surreal_. How could she be a vampire? Oh, no, scratch that: half vampire and half human, because her father was a human and her mother was a vampire, a vampire like the Yamanakas, one that was not affected by sunlight, that didn't kill people, that was as alive as any human. Her mother, a fantastic creature, a harmless monster, a being she'd only heard about from fictional books... How absurd that sounded!

But Sakura was starting to believe it. Mr. Yamanaka and Ino never joked like this, and they hadn't even looked like they were joking or lying. Sakura thought that, either they were so completely crazy they believed their own lie, or they were telling the truth. Since she was sure they had always been pretty lucid, there was no other choice: they were being honest and all that vampire crap was real.

But how! How was it possible? Why did she never have a clue? The only times vampires were mentioned in her whole life were when she read fictional horror books to spend her free time and when she discussed about those books in her literature class in high school. Oh, and maybe she heard about them in TV as well, in series or movies, and she even saw a few kids dressed as Dracula in Halloween. But she never, ever heard they were actually real. Never.

It made sense that vampires tried to hide their existence because, if she freaked out like this when she found out, she could imagine other people's reaction, and no one wanted a chaos like that. Besides, what if humans tried to kill them? That would start a war that would end the world... So yes, she could guess why their existence had always been nothing but a myth, a joke to humans.

However, it should've remained like that. She shouldn't have known the truth. She should've just continued on with her life, working until Tsunade woke up, then going to med school and becoming a successful neurologist, then meeting a good man, marrying and having a couple kids, perhaps twins, and send them to school, and having three dogs, and then dying happily by her husband's side. Now those goals were vanished, because she knew the truth; she knew she was not a human, she was not normal, and therefore her life could _never_ be normal.

She shouldn't have been a vampire.

Sakura could feel her blood pumping in her temples and she closed her eyes. Tears started to fill her puffy, tired eyes, but she held them back. What was the point on crying? Nothing would change anything. Now she knew, now she _was_, because her instincts had awoken, or something like that, and from now on she would have thirst of blood and she wouldn't be able to be a doctor because, if a patient bled, she would want to devour them. That realization made more tears flow, but, again, biting her lower lip, she held them back. Crying was stupid, useless and weak; she would not do it, not again.

Her life was ruined, but her heart was still beating, she was still breathing, so she couldn't give up so easily. Maybe there was a way to at least pretend to have a normal life. Maybe she could keep pretending to be a human. Maybe she could even control her thirst of blood. Not everything was lost; she had to stay optimistic, or else she would sink.

She rose to her feet, which felt heavy and numb, and headed to the living room. As she walked, she suddenly realized one thing: the Yamanakas, Tsunade and maybe even Shizune, they always knew what she was, but they pretended everything was normal. Because, back then, everything _was_ normal. As Mr. Yamanaka had said, she was born human, and she was still human until today, the day her instincts awoke, and now she was half vampire as well. Still, she wondered how they were able to hide it so well.

She stepped into the living room, where she had spent almost as much time as she'd spent in her own living room, where she used to watch scary movies with her friends in sleepovers, where thousands of times she spent her boring Sundays and watched with Ino the popular cheesy dramas they'd always loved. The Yamanaka family sat on the couch, and even though the TV was on, they had been looking at anything but it before they noticed her presence and their eyes turned to fix on her.

"Where's Kaeru?" she asked, noticing there was one member of the family missing, Ino's little brother.

"He's at a friend's house," Mrs. Yamanaka said. Sakura noticed the pity in her eyes as she looked at her, and she tried to avoid them, because they made her feel weak and kind of stupid, and she didn't want to get angry at that nice woman. It was not her fault, after all, and she had the right to feel sorry for her. Hell, even Sakura felt sorry for herself.

"Does he know about me, too?" she asked, sitting on the individual couch.

"No," Mr. Yamanaka said. "He's still a child, and we couldn't trust such secret to him."

"But, does he know vampires exist?"

"Of course he does," the man said. "His instincts will awoke any time soon, after all. He needs to know what he is to be prepared for what is to come."

"Then why didn't you tell me all of this before?" she asked. "I should've been prepared, too."

The three of them seemed taken off guard for a moment, until Mrs. Yamanaka said, "Honey, you know it's different. Kaeru has been part of our society ever since he was a baby, and he accepts the fact that vampires exist but are hidden from humans as something completely normal. Besides, he would've realized sooner or later what was going on if he saw her parents drink blood during dinner."

"What I mean is, why did you have to hide this for so long?" Sakura asked, starting to get angry. "Why am I not part of your society ever since I was a baby? I'm a vampire too, am I not? I could've accepted vampires' existence ever since I was a kid too."

"It's different with you, Sakura," Mr. Yamanaka said. "Kaeru is a full vampire like us. You are a half-breed vampire."

"And what's with that! What's wrong with me being half human? My other half is vampire, so I'm still one of you!"

"We think that way too," he said. "But... most of our society disagrees."

Sakura paused, frowning. "What do you mean with that? How can they disagree? Do they.. do they discriminate against half-breeds? Are they like _racist_ or something?"

"They do more than discriminate against you," Mrs. Yamanaka said grimly. "They see you as something wrong, something illegal..."

"As if we were freaks?" Sakura asked, surprised.

"More than freaks," Ino said, speaking for the first time. "Kind of... _monsters_."


	17. The truth

**Chapter sixteen**

_The truth_

Sakura let out a humorless chuckle. _Monsters_? Vampires thought that half-breed vampires were _monsters_? That was so stupid it was almost funny. Vampires, any vampire, any inhuman creature, was a monster. Why did full vampires, as Mr. Yamanka had called them, thought those half humans were worse than them? It was ridiculous. It was as if... as if a whale discriminated a manatee for being a fat marine mammal.

"_Why_?" she asked.

Inoichi sighed deeply. "This is one of the important things we haven't explain you yet. You'll see, it's forbidden for a human and a vampire to mate. It's a taboo. They can be together, even get married, and though it will be seen as something wrong, it won't be prohibited. However, they cannot have kids, because they would be half-breed vampires, and half-breeds are not... how can I say it..."

"Allowed to exist?" Sakura offered.

The man nodded slowly. "Some of us don't agree. Some of us think there is nothing wrong with a vampire and a human loving each other and wanting to have a child. Some of us think half-breeds are still part of our society, though part of the human society at the same time, and that's okay. But most of vampires don't have an open mind; they think they're still living in the eighteenth century. Times have changed, and that's something they don't understand, or actually, they don't want to understand, because they're afraid. Changes and new things scare them; that's why they try to forbid them."

"Then... I was not supposed to exist?" Sakura asked, thinking this couldn't get any worse. She was half human half vampire, and she shouldn't have been born? What else was coming? Did she have an impossible mission to save the world, a world that would always reject her, from destruction or something?

"Sakura," Mrs. Yamanaka said softly, "you have to know that your parents loved each other very much. You were the product of that unconditional love, and they never, _ever_ regretted to have you. If you had seen them when they found out your mother was pregnant... They were scared, yes, but their happiness clouded that fright. They were full of joy and all because of you. And when you were born..." She smiled. "I think I've never seen a man and a woman look so delighted before."

The girl was unaffected by those sweet words. "But still... it was wrong. _I _am wrong. Right?"

"No," Ino said. "It's not like that, Sakura. Many vampires think you're a shame to the race, but that doesn't mean they are right. As my Dad said, they're just afraid of changes, and you are a change; that's why they don't want you. But also many of us, those with an open, unafraid mind, think that you have the right to exist, just like everybody else. And if you think you have the right to live as well, then don't listen to what the others say."

Sakura was silent for a moment, and then she asked, "But I don't quite understand why they are afraid of me. Okay, I'm a change, but in what aspect?"

"They think you're the key to our extinction," Mr. Yamanaka said. "Vampire blood mixed with human blood... they think it's something wrong, something that will sooner or later disappear the race, because human blood is stronger than ours, and they think that if it keeps getting mixed, one day vampires will cease to exist."

Her eyes widened. "That's ridiculous!"

"It is," he agreed. "Some of us have told the others so, but the best we have done was to forbid the murder of half-breeds and punish the ones who do it the same way we'd punish them as if they had killed a full vampire. However, those vampires married to humans are still scared, and it's very, very weird to meet a half-breed. No one dares to have a kid that would be seen as something wrong, especially because some vampires are still killing them, obsessed with the paranoid idea of half-breeds being the ones that will make the vampire race extinct, and because some times those murderers are not punished the way they are supposed to be, particularly when they're friends with important vampire leaders."

"But my parents dared," Sakura said. "They didn't care."

"They did care," Mrs. Yamanaka said. "I told you, they were scared but also very happy-"

"But if they were scared, why did they do it? Or was I an accident? Did they not use protection? Were they just _resigned_ to have me?"

"No! It's not like that, Sakura..."

"Then they _planned_ to have me? Did they want me to exist even when they _knew_ my life would be a hell and I would be in constant danger?"

No one spoke for a moment. Sakura looked at them, waiting, her expression blank, but in the inside she was dying. She didn't know if she was an accident, an unwanted baby, or if her parents actually wanted her to be born, not caring she would suffer because everyone would see her as something wrong. Both versions were horrible.

Finally, Mr. Yamanaka said, "We don't know, Sakura. We're sure you were not an accident because your parents had been married for a year and my sister had never been in risk of being pregnant until then. The only thing I do know is that they were very happy to have you; they wanted you."

"But _why_!" she shouted, finally losing it. "Why would someone want to bring a kid to the world just to have her suffering! What is the point! Did someone pay them to do it or something? Or did they suddenly felt like having a kid and then die and leave her alone in a world where she wouldn't be wanted?"

"It was not their intention to die," Mrs. Yamanaka pointed out.

"I know, they had a plane accident, but that's not the point." Her eyes were stinging with tears, but she held them back, deciding it would be better to cry after they answered her questions. "Why did they do it? _Why_? Were they freaking crazy?"

"I don't know, Sakura," Inoichi admitted again, shaking his head. "I don't remember much. I was too happy to have a niece to care much about my sister's intentions. Of course, I was worried for what the other vampires would say, I was scared for what others would want to do to you, but eighteen years ago I was still young and naïve, and I had thought that if the Yamanakas were there to protect you, everything would be fine. Many people questioned your parents, some even scolded them, desperately asking why just like you are right now, but everything they said was, 'Because we are in love, and we want a child'."

"Everyone said they were nothing but two selfish and immature brats," Mrs. Yamanaka said. "I agreed with them at first. But you just could not be angry at a couple that looked so happy. Eventually, we all accepted their decision and came to the conclusion that they just wanted to prove everyone that half-breeds were still babies, and that like any other kids, they were their parents' joy."

"And, at the end, did they prove it?" Sakura asked bitterly.

The couple exchanged a look. Ino looked down at her lap. For a second, Sakura thought they wouldn't answer that question, but then Inoichi said, "They didn't. Our society is cruel. Some bastards took care of the matter and... and they decided to get rid of you."

"Get rid of me?"

"Yes. To kill you. The leaders pretended they didn't care about you, but they were actually plotting a discreet way to eliminate you. They hired someone... and when that someone did his job and then escaped, the leaders faked surprise and promised they would find and punish him, but I bet they were the ones who payed for his damn flight ticket!"

Mrs. Yamanaka put a hand on her husband's shoulder, as if telling him to calm his anger. "No one could prove anything," she said, sadness clear in her features. "They got away with it."

"But I'm not dead," Sakura said, dumbfounded.

"They think you are," the woman said. "That someone told them he killed you, but the truth is that he lied; he just couldn't find you, so he thought you were dead somewhere else. Inoichi and Tsunade found you, took you away and hid you; that's why you're still alive. Either way, he would've found you. And since no vampire knew you were still alive, except for us, the leaders forgot about you and moved on with another matter."

"But those leaders couldn't be stupid enough to believe him if they didn't have my body to prove my death, right?"

Mrs. Yamanaka's expression turned even more melancholic. "They were satisfied with his job because he brought something else to prove he'd done what they wanted, something that was not your body, but..."

"But what?" the girl demanded.

Mr. Yamanaka took his wife's hand, looked at Sakura straight in the eye and said, "He brought your parents' bodies."

Sakura felt her soul fall to her toes. Her lips parted and her eyes widened, but she didn't do or say anything. She just stared at her uncle, holding her breath, stiff and immobile like a statue.

"No," she finally said, and smiled in a way that made her look as if she were in pain. "No, it can't be possible. I mean, my parents died in a plane accident when I was three years old. They had gone to Europe, and they were coming back to Japan, but their plane, like, _broke_ or something and they fell to the sea and died and – _I saw the newspaper_! I already knew how to read when I was that age because my Dad taught me before he left to Europe and _I read the headlines_! And... and Tsunade _told_ me so! She told me their plane had changed its route and had taken them to heaven instead! So it's not... it's not... it can't..."

Ino stood up from the couch and walked towards her. She knelt down, her blue eyes filled with tears, and then hugged her tightly. Sakura let her do it, but she barely felt her there. She barely felt anything.

* * *

><p>Shizune sat at the kitchen's table, listening to the TV in the living room. Her food sat almost intact in front of her, and she stared at the roasted chicken and smashed potatoes with a thoughtful expression. When she'd come home, she'd been hungry, but after Sakura's call, she'd been too worried to feel like eating something. And that sucked, because the food looked delicious, and it had been kind of expensive. What a waste.<p>

Finally, she stood up and started to put all the food in toppers. She put the toppers in the fridge and decided to eat it tomorrow in the morning. It wouldn't taste as good after heating it up in the microwave, but there was no other choice. She couldn't throw it to the trash.

Shizune went to the living room and sat on the couch. She tried to watch TV, to let those stupid shows distract her for a moment, but her mind was restless. She kept wondering, thinking, guessing, asking herself about Sakura. She was just too damn worried for her. The clock hanging from the wall let her know that it had only been an hour since she called; that meant the Yamanakas were probably not done explaining everything yet. In half an hour or so, there would be a knock on the door, and it would be Sakura, and she would run into her arms and cry until midnight, and Shizune would be annoyed by this but happy she was okay; sad, but okay. There was no reason to be concerned.

Sighing deeply, the brunette ordered herself to calm down and enjoy the TV show. It was not her favorite show, but it seemed funny; the public was laughing their asses off. She decided to give it a chance.

A few minutes later, just when Shizune was starting to understand what the show was about, there was a knock on the door. At first she wondered who it would be, but then she remembered about Sakura and realized it was obvious it would be her. She turned the TV off and hurried to the door, thinking she had come back sooner than she'd expected.

Right after the second knock, Shizune unlocked the door and opened it. What she saw left her mouth agape.

Sakura stood on the porch, and Mr. Yamanaka and Ino were behind her, but Shizune saw them as the unimportant background. Her full attention was on her cousin. Tears were running down her extremely pale cheeks, like thin, delicate waterfalls. Her nose was puffy and her green eyes looked dull and empty. She looked young and lonely.

Shizune had never seen her so miserable.

"Oh, Sakura," she whispered as she threw her arms around the girl. She hugged her tightly, as if trying to let her know she was not alone, that she was there to support her. Her body was stiff and cold; her grief seemed to emanate from her skin.

From over Sakura's shoulder, the brunette looked at Mr. Yamanaka. "Does she know everything?" she mouthed. The man nodded.

Shizune let go, took a look at her cousin one last time and then told her to go inside, because she wanted to have a few words with Mr. Yamanaka. Sakura sniffed and shook her head. "There's one last thing I have to ask Mr. Yamanaka," she said. Her voice was hoarse and low, but determined.

"Okay," the older woman said. "Should I go inside?"

"No. Stay if you want." The girl turned around to face the people behind her. She made a pause, studying their faces, and then finally asked, "I should leave, right? Before they find out I'm alive and that my instincts have awaken. They'll try to find me. I should get away."

"That's a choice... but you could stay, too," Mr. Yamanaka said. "We could protect you... and, now that your instincts have awoken, you could protect yourself too."

Sakura nodded thoughtfully. She was not crying anymore. Her swollen eyes suddenly looked full of resolution and certainty. The lonely little girl had been replaced by a perceptive young woman forced to be unafraid. Shizune was slightly surprised by quickness of the change, but glad her cousin was being brave.

"I'll think about it," Sakura said. "And one more thing... That man, the one who killed my parents... who is he?"

Inoichi and his daughter shifted uncomfortably and were quiet for several moments. Sakura's eyes narrowed. "What happens?" she asked. "Why don't you want to tell me?"

"It's not that," Ino said. "We just don't know how you will take it..."

"I'm not going to go crazy or anything," she assured. "And I'm not going to run and search for him to get revenge as soon as you turn around, either. Vengeance is something I'm not interested on... at least for now. I just... I just need to know. I have the _right_ to know."

"We know you well enough to know you're not the avenger type," Ino said, "so that's not what worries us. The man is probably dead already, anyways."

"So what's wrong with me knowing who he is... was?"

Inoichi sighed. "He was an Uchiha."

Sakura seemed unaffected by the answer, but Shizune caught glimpse of her fists clenching.

"But they have no fault," Ino pointed out immediately. "Madara Uchiha was like the black sheep of the family. He was Fugaku's uncle, but they have nothing to do with each other. That man was _crazy_. So please don't bear them any grudge, Sakura."

Sakura smirked and shook her head. "Why would I? They didn't do anything. And the man is dead, anyways. Besides, he was just following orders, right? I should bear the leaders my grudges; they are the bad guys here."

"Indeed they are," Mr. Yamanaka agreed solemnly. "But, for now, please don't try to do anything. They're the leaders of our society, and they are powerful. It's dangerous to go against them."

"I already told you, I'm not an avenger," Sakura replied bluntly, and then sighed. "Okay, I'm exhausted. You guys talk. I'll be taking a shower."

"Good night, Sakura," Ino said.

The pink haired smiled softly. She started to turn around, but then she paused and turned back to the Yamanakas. "Thank you," she said, "for, you know... taking the bother of explaining all of this to me and... for standing my reactions."

"No problem," Mr. Yamanaka said, smiling. "It's our responsibility. You're my niece, after all."

Sakura smiled back awkwardly, and then hurried into the house.

As she heard her cousin's steps in the stairs, Shizune sighed deeply and stepped out of the house, closing the door behind her. "So, how did she take it at first?" she asked Mr. Yamanaka.

"Not good," the man replied. "She thought we were joking, that we thought she was an idiot or something. Then she cried. When she calmed down, she started to say vampires were not real, just creatures from fictional books and all those things any human would say in her place. But then I took out some blood and she reacted as expected. That was what made her realize we were not joking."

"And then what?" the brunette asked, imagining what the poor girl was feeling and thinking at those moments.

"Well, we left her alone for a moment and then we started to explain her everything else, about the half-breeds, about her parents... When we told her the truth about her parents' death she was in shock. She wouldn't speak, so we decided to bring her home and see if you could snap her out of it. But then, as soon as we got her into the car, she started to cry her heart out. Once she started, she didn't stop until now."

Shizune sighed deeply, running a hand through her short dark hair. "I can't believe this happened today," she confessed. "I knew it would happen sooner or later, but really, why did it have to happen now, in the most unexpected day?"

"We feel the same way," Ino said. "It really caught us off guard."

Shizune nodded thoughtfully. "But...," she looked at Inoichi straight in the eye, "what do you think she will do now? What will be her choice, to stay or to go?"

He pondered for a moment and then said, "If I were her, I would leave. I sincerely think that's the best for her. She is right: sooner or later the leaders will find out and try to kill her again. She'd be safer somewhere else, because they expect her to be here."

"She would have to travel constantly," Shizune realized at loud, "so that they would never know where she is."

"Exactly. But... she is just a girl; she is going to miss her life here. So... I really don't know what she will decide to do now."

Shizune nodded and hugged her arms. The night air was a bit cold, and she was wearing nothing but a short-sleeved shirt. "Well," she said, "if she leaves I will miss her a lot... but I think the same way: she is safer anywhere but here."

* * *

><p>Sakura was in the shower, sitting on the floor and hugging her knees to her chest as the warm water fell on her. All the things that had happened today were being replayed in her mind; she was trying to remember every detail, because every revelation, every feeling, every word, was important if make sure everything had been real.<p>

She knew she was wasting water, but she felt so calm and safe there, feeling the water against her skin, with the sounds the drops made when they hit the floor and the smell of soap and shampoo, that she didn't care. She needed to be there, it was the perfect place to think, and she had a _lot _to think about.

The part where Mr. Yamanaka tells her her parents' killer was an Uchiha came. She remembered the hesitant, sad look in his blue eyes, and discovered some anger mixed with them. Sakura wondered how he managed to be friends with Fugaku and Mikoto when they were related to the man who killed his sister.

_Because they had no fault, as Ino had said_, she thought. _That man... Madara, I think... he was crazy, but not because Fugaku is his nephew he has to be as crazy as him, right? Besides, they don't deserve to be compared to that unscrupulous bastard. They really are nice people... no, nice-_

Vampires. The Uchihas were vampires too. So... Sasuke... he really was a vampire.

"Oh my God," she whispered, her eyes wide and her muscles stiff. "He's... a vampire!"

Her dream, her nightmare... How could she forget it? She dreamed he was a vampire, and he _was_ vampire; she'd dreamed about something real she hadn't known that was real. But how was that possible? Also, she'd dreamed about him before even meeting him. How could she know all of that? Had she met him before? No, she hadn't; she was sure of that. So how in the world...?

There was something definitely weird about her nightmares. She'd always known that, but now it made much more sense, because now she knew she was not normal at all. She was half human, half vampire, and if that was true, then it could also be true that her nightmares were a lot more than just creepy dreams her traumatized imagination created.

Maybe... maybe her dreams were prophetic, in an abstract way. Maybe she'd been dreaming about scarlet because it was a warning that vampires were about to become part of her life; the blood is scarlet, and vampires drink blood, so it was all connected. And hadn't Mr. Yamanaka said something about vampires having gifts? Did she have a gift as well?

Hysteric, she started to remember all the nightmares she'd had. The pool of blood, the red leaves, the red sky, Sasuke... and when she remembered the one she'd had when she'd fainted in the kitchen, she gasped.

There was a knock on the door that startled her. "Y-yeah?" she called out, her voice shaking slightly.

"Are you okay, Sakura?" Shizune asked from the other side of the door.

The girl stood up, turned the shower off and wrapped a towel around her naked body. She took a deep breath and then opened the door. Her cousin was there, looking slightly anxious, and Sakura tried to smile reassuringly. "I'm fine."

"Oh, good," the brunette said, slowly smiling back. "It's just that you were taking too long; I was starting to worry."

"I'm sorry. I was just enjoying the shower a lot."

Shizune nodded, her anxiousness clearly disappearing. "Are you hungry?" she asked.

"Not really."_ Unless you have some blood_, Sakura thought, and then she hated herself for that. It was disgusting... but what could she do? She was a goddamned vampire, of course she liked blood; why pretend she didn't?

"Well, the dinner is in the fridge, anyways. You can heat it up and eat it tomorrow, if you want."

"Yeah, I think I'll do that."

"Okay. Then... good night, I guess. Unless you want to talk...?"

Sakura shook her head. She loved how Shizune cared about her so much, but sometimes it was annoying. She didn't like to talk about her feelings; she preferred to keep them for herself. Yet, her cousin was always trying to make her talk. Sakura knew she did it because she wanted to help, but, really, why couldn't she get it after all those years?

"I'm very tired, Shizune. I just want to put on my pajamas and sleep until tomorrow's afternoon or something. But thanks for caring."

"Are you sure?" the brunette asked.

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Okay," she sighed. "Good night, then."

"Good night," Sakura said, and then she went to her room and got ready to sleep.

She had thought that as soon as she turned the lights off she would fall asleep. However, even though her body was exhausted, her mind was restless. She kept thinking about that dream in which she'd been small and wounded, desperate to get out of the house she was in until Tsunade found her. She kept thinking about that lollipop-faced man she'd thought about during the dream... and wondering if he really was Madara Uchiha, as she suspected.

* * *

><p><span>Notes<span>: Thank you for reading. Sorry for not updating very frequently; it's just that sometimes I have things to do and I don't have time to write. However, I'm trying my best to finish this story, which seems to be advancing kind of slowly, but we're not even close to the end yet, so don't worry; I promise it'll get more exciting soon. ;) Anyways, I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoy writing it. Pelase review and tell me what you think! (:


	18. The memory

**Chapter seventeen**

_The memory_

Itachi always woke up early, even when he had nothing to do. Sasuke had the same habit because of him. Naruto, however, was very different.

"Wake up, dumbass," Sasuke grunted, pinching his best friend's nose. The blond's snoring was interrupted as soon as oxygen stopped flowing into his lungs, and his surprise-filled eyes snapped open. Sasuke let go of his nose and stepped back with a satisfied smirk.

"What the hell!" Naruto exclaimed drowsily. He rubbed his eyes and tired to focus them on his friend. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to wake you up," Sasuke replied as he turned around and walked towards the window of the guest room. "It's already past midday... You're such a lazy ass." He opened the curtains, letting the glaring sunlight into the dark room.

Naruto groaned, covering his face. "Dude, don't do that!" He blinked a few times to adjust his eyes and then glared daggers at the other male. "You know, sometimes I wish all those legends about you guys were true. You really deserve to catch fire under sunlight right now."

Sasuke, standing in front of the window with his arms folded across his chest, the sunlight illuminating his pale skin, smirked widely at him. "And you really deserve to have your head ripped off your body right now, but I don't want to get in trouble for doing that. Now, get the hell up. We have things to do."

"What things?" Naruto asked, throwing the covers off him, as the Uchiha started to walk towards the door.

"We have to talk to my parents. About the half-breed."

"_What_? Why?"

"Just get dressed, Naruto," he replied from the door. "We'll meet you in the study."

Sasuke stepped out of the room, closing the door behind him. Naruto sat on the bed for a few moments, confused and still drowsy, and then he sighed deeply and got up. "Whatever," he muttered to himself. "It's not as if I have anything better to do today."

Naruto took a quick shower, got dressed, brushed his teeth and fixed his hair in less than ten minutes. He then headed to the study. As he walked, his stomach grumbled. Sasuke had said it was past midday, so he'd missed the breakfast and the lunch. But he didn't worry; he was a guest, so he could just find a maid and tell her to bring him a snack. That was the thing he liked the most about visiting the Uchihas: maids could get you food no matter what time it was.

He opened the study's door and stepped in. "Well, good morning," Itachi said from the individual couch. He had a cup of tea in his hand and a book in the other. "Oh no, scratch that: good _afternoon_. Pretty late to have just woken up, huh?"

"Don't treat me like I'm the weirdo here," the blond said, annoyed. "It's Sunday, for God's sake. Normal people wake up late."

"_We_ don't."

"Exactly." He sat on the largest couch and looked at the plate of cookies resting on the coffee table. He reached for one and smelled it. Peanut chips: his favorites. He bit it happily, laid back and glanced over at Sasuke, who was staring out the window. "So," the blond started, "what are we going to talk about with your parents? Are you guys going to tell them how you found out about the half-breed?"

"Never," Sasuke replied. "My mother cannot know I was in her dream."

"Then?"

"We'll just tell them we smelled her yesterday. You'll tell them you caught a weird smell while we were here, in the study, and when we went to see where it came from we saw the half-breed. Ino was there too, and she asked for our help, so we gave her a bag of blood for the half-breed. After that, Ino explained us what was going on."

"So that's gonna be our version of the story?"

Sasuke nodded. "Everything is not actually a lie. It's true that you did smell something weird, and that we helped Ino with the blood."

"Yeah, I guess so." Naruto reached over for another cookie and asked, "So we knew nothing about the half-breed before yesterday, right?"

"Right."

"Okay," he said, taking a bite of his cookie. "It's a good idea. We can even get Ino to back us up. Who came up with it?"

"I did, of course," Itachi said, and he smirked. "Have you forgotten I'm the smartest one here?"

The two younger males rolled their eyes.

"Anyways," Sasuke said, "we're just going to walk up to my father and pretend to be confused and nervous and then we'll tell him what supposedly happened yesterday. You don't have to talk, Naruto; we'll tell him everything; just be there to assure we're telling the truth and to describe what you smelled. And then, father will have no other choice but to explain everything to us."

"Hey, but why do you want that?" Naruto asked. "Ino already told us everything she knew, and I think she knows more than your father."

"But we are supposed to know nothing, remember?" Itachi said. "Besides, we want to tell him our opinion about this situation."

The blond frowned. "What opinion?"

"That we do not agree with having something to do with the half-breed," Sasuke answered. "It's dangerous for us and for our whole clan. If someone finds out we're hiding a half-breed, not only will we get punished, but the Uchiha name will get stained."

Naruto narrowed his eyes at his best friend. He couldn't believe how proud and protective the Uchihas were about their clan. It was just a damn clan; it didn't defined you. Also, what he was saying about the half-breed was selfish... but Naruto had to admit it was also smart. Indeed, they'd get severely punished if someone found out they were protecting a half-breed. Was that girl really worth the trouble? He knew she was Mrs. Uchiha's best friend's daughter and all, but wasn't her family more important than that?

At least they weren't planning to give the girl away or to kill her. They just didn't want her around anymore.

"But what if your parents don't care about your opinion?" Naruto asked. "What will you do?"

"They_ have_ to care about our opinion," Itachi said. "We're their sons."

"Yeah, but what if they still want to keep protecting that girl in spite of what you guys think?"

"We threaten," Sasuke replied calmly. "We tell them that if they don't do as we say, we'll kill the half-breed ourselves."

Naruto and Itachi gaped at him. "That was not part of the plan," the older Uchiha said stiffly.

"Do you have a better idea?" Sasuke asked, unconcerned, as he slumped on the couch besides Naruto.

"But... you won't really kill her, Sasuke, right?" Naruto asked, smiling nervously.

"Of course not," he said, but there was something in his eyes that told Naruto that he still wasn't very sure about that.

"You _can't kill_ her, man. I mean, she's a half-breed and everything, but she's still just a girl. And, you know, I agree with those that say that half-breeds are not to blame for being half vampire half human. I mean, it's not their fault their parents were careless and... horny."

"I am _not_ going to kill her," he said faintly. "It'll just be a threat."

"I don't think it's a good idea," Itachi admitted, frowning.

Sasuke sighed. "Well, let's try it and we'll see."

* * *

><p>When she woke up, for a moment she forgot about everything; for a moment, she believed she was still a normal eighteen year old girl who was just going through a hard time in which she had to temporally work in stead of studying. She felt light-headed and even a bit happy. It was a glorious moment.<p>

But then the memories started to pour on her like cold water, and every ounce of happiness in her body vanished. She suddenly lost all desire of living. She wanted to be someone else, or maybe even die. Dying would be easier, more possible.

Sakura got off the bed and went to the bathroom. As she showered, she decided there was nothing she could do to fix all the crap in her life; she just had to deal with it. And dying certainly was not an option. She would never dare to kill herself; she was scared of death, because what was going to happen after death? Was there really a heaven, a hell? The uncertainty of it frightened her. Besides, there were people that would suffer if she died, like her friends, Shizune, Tsunade (when she woke up – _if_ she woke up), and more. Sakura didn't want to hurt them; they had no fault she was not happy with herself.

So there was no other choice: she had to be brave, not only for her but for the people that cared for her, and simply get used to this new life. It couldn't be that hard, could it?

"And there is always hope. Hope dies last," she mused to herself as she stepped out of the shower, smiling softly. She thought she'd heard those words somewhere else before, but she couldn't recall where or who had said them. They were wise words... had some elder had said them? Who? A grandparent, perhaps? But definitely not hers. Sakura never met her grandparents. Her father used to be an orphan, as Tsunade had told her one of the few times they talked about him, and her mother... her mother...

An image flashed in her mind abruptly. Two people... old people; a woman with short, dirty blond hair and kind hazel eyes, and a man with blue eyes and wheat-colored hair. Their wrinkled features were familiar, and when Sakura realized why, she froze. The woman was an older version of Tsunade, just like the man was an older version of Inoichi, and Sakura's mother, Hikari, used to be a female version of the man with the hair color and the beautiful eyes of the woman. They were their parents... Sakura's grandparents.

Frowning confusedly, Sakura exited the bathroom with a towel around her body. As she walked to her room, she wondered why she suddenly remembered them. She had thought she hadn't even met them. She knew they were still alive and living somewhere else, Europe, perhaps, but they never visited because they were busy... But suddenly, Sakura realized they were not busy: they just didn't want to see their half-breed granddaughter.

The realization affected her, but then she told herself it was stupid to feel sad because of people like them; after all, what kind of grandparents didn't visit their granddaughter only because she was... different? _Vampire grandparents_, a voice said in her head, but she ignored it and decided to forget about her feelings to focus on the important subject: why did she suddenly remember her grandparents?

The image had appeared unexpectedly when she had been trying to remember who had said the wise words she had just mentioned. Apparently, one of them had been, but that didn't matter anymore. Sakura had just been trying to remember; she had concentrated hard, had searched in the depths of her mind... and the image had simply popped up.

Sakura finished getting dressed and she sat on the edge of the bed as she dried her hair with the towel. She wondered if she could remember more things if she concentrated like she had before, but she found herself scared of remembering. What if she remembered something she shouldn't, something that would hurt her?

"Well," she sighed unhappily, throwing the towel to the floor, "I'd remember things sooner or later, right? I can't run away from my own memories."

So she closed her eyes, and searched.

* * *

><p>"This is very dangerous, father," Itachi said, frowning.<p>

"I am aware of that, son," Mr. Uchiha replied calmly, interviewing his fingers.

"Then how can you feel okay about it?" Sasuke asked, narrowing his dark eyes. "You are endangering not only us, but the whole clan. If they find out the Uchihas are protecting a half-breed, the whole clan's reputation will be affected."

"The leaders know the Uchihas are against the half-breed discrimination."

"Yes," Sasuke said, "but everyone thinks we do it just because it seems like the right thing, because with our prestige we have to have a good reputation. But one thing is defending their rights and another is associating with one of them."

"It is not something illegal," Fugaku said stiffly. "Half-breeds are no longer seen as something entirely wrong."

"Some vampires don't think the same way," his younger son pointed out, "and you know that. Besides, the leaders may say there is nothing wrong with half-breeds, but you and I both know they are just corrupt and hypocrite bastards. We all know that as soon as they find out about that girl, they'll send some anonymous killer to get rid of her, and probably also of us."

The man stared at his son for a long moment, expressionlessly, and then he closed his eyes. "I didn't like this idea at first, either. However, Sakura is Hikari's daughter, and your mother appreciated her very much; she was the sister she never had. Sakura is like a niece to her. So, in the end, I decided to give in to please your mother. Besides, Sakura's instincts hadn't awoken yet and she appeared to be nothing but a mere human, so there was no risk."

"But that's over," Itachi said. "Her vampire instincts are awoke now."

"I know, son."

"So that's why I think," Sasuke said, "that you shouldn't let this continue. You have to tell mother how dangerous it is to keep having something to do with that girl. Besides, I don't think she's safe here; she should leave the city, or perhaps even the country. I don't think it's a good idea to keep having her as a maid."

Fugaku sighed deeply. "I'll talk to your mother."

The Uchiha sons realized there was nothing else to say, so they rose from their chairs. Naruto imitated them, and after thanking Fugaku for his time, he followed his vampire friends out of the office.

As they walked back to the study, the blond grinned and said, "Hey, he seemed to agree with you. Maybe he will convince your mom and everything will go as you want."

"You're forgetting something," Itachi said. "Mother is not easy to convince. She'll put up a very hard fight if we go against her wishes."

"But your point is good!" Naruto said. "It's not good to mix with half-breeds, specially if they are ones with awoken instincts. She'll understand that, won't she?"

"Our mother can be very stubborn sometimes," Sasuke replied dryly. "But she can also be unpredictable. We'll have to wait to find out."

* * *

><p>Sakura <em>remembered<em>. She remembered all about than night. Every single detail, she could recall it as if it had all happened yesterday. She couldn't believe it... but she did.

She had been three years old, nine months, two weeks and three days. She knew that because, as soon as she learned to count, she used to count the days left for her next birthday, because she loved to get gifts and to be the center of attention for a whole day. She used to be a kind of selfish little brat, but she had no fault: her parents spoiled her, they bought her as many stuff as she wanted, because they had the money and they loved her. That piece of information made her wonder how she would be right now if nothing of that night would've happened. She would be going to the best college in the country, maybe in the world, and she wouldn't be worrying about money at all, because her parents would be there for her. She thought a life like that would've been fabulous, but, on second thought, was kind of glad she had a different kind of life. No one, or at least not her, wanted to be a selfish, immature, rich brat.

Her parents had just come back from a trip to Europe. They hadn't been on vacation; it was business stuff, but since Sakura was just a kid, she didn't know what kind of business. She had stayed for the whole week with her aunt Tsunade, but that afternoon they had gone to pick her parents up from the airport, and then they'd gone home and had dinner. Sakura's mom and Tsunade prepared it while Sakura asked her father about the trip. She didn't remember what he had told her; she just remembered that she loved the way he narrated stories, and that he had a beautiful, calming voice.

They had eaten chicken... or maybe turkey, she wasn't sure. Then, when the sky was darkening, Tsunade left, after promising Sakura she would teach her how to sew the next time she stayed at her house. Sakura had been excited; she was a smart girl, and she loved to learn new things, even when she was just three years of age, and Tsunade loved to teach her stuff. She remembered she'd known that Tsunade was her mother's older sister, because even back then she already called her aunt.

When the family was left alone, they sat on the couch and watched TV. However, the TV had been ignored, because Sakura was too excited about their trip and kept asking them questions about Europe. She'd been fascinated, she'd always wanted to travel to other places, and her parents hadn't seemed to mind telling her about how tall the Eiffel tower was and about Italy's beaches.

After talking so much, Sakura had ended up exhausted, and her mother sent her to bed at ten, an hour past the usual hour. Too tired to protest, she'd changed clothes, washed her teeth, and waited in her bed for mommy and daddy to go say good night.

However, they never came. Sakura, not born a very patient person, went to look for them a few minutes after waiting, irritated they'd forgotten about her. She looked for them in their bedroom, but they hadn't been there. She'd looked in the two guest rooms and in the bathroom without success, and then finally had gone downstairs. She thought maybe they were in the kitchen, cleaning it up or something, but she was actually panicking. This was not normal, and she could feel something was not okay.

When she went downstairs, she found a man in the living room. He had been wearing dark clothes and a mask... a really weird mask, that reminded her of a lollipop. It had been orange, and had had spirals and only a single hole for the right eye. Sakura had gasped, but that was all she had time to do before the man threw a knife at her. It had been directed straight into her stomach, but she'd dodged it; however, it had still injured her left side, and she'd yelped in pain. The man decided to throw another knife, and Sakura had quickly ran into the kitchen, dodging a knife completely this time.

As she'd been wishing, her parents were in the kitchen. They were laying on a pool of their own blood.

Sakura didn't remember if she'd screamed. She guessed she had. But what she did remember clearly was falling on her knees and crawling towards the dead bodies of her parents. There had been so much blood, everywhere and anywhere, in the ceiling, in the walls, and she had smelled it: metallic, sweet, the smell of the death, of the terror.

She'd touched her mother's cold, blood-stained face. Her blue eyes were wide open and her look was empty... so empty it seemed she was a doll. Sakura hadn't seen her father's face because he had been laying on his stomach, right besides her mother, but she could guess he had had the same vacuous look as her. After all, they were both dead.

Sakura didn't remember if they had been injured, but she guessed they had, and severely; where else had that blood come from? There had been so,_ so_ much blood... The whole room had been covered in scarlet, and she'd felt so little, so trapped. The smell of blood, mixed with the smell of wet paper and smoke, had made her want to vomit.

She stood up and slipped on the blood, twisting her ankle. She moaned in pain, but bit her lip to not cry. The man hadn't come after her, she had no idea why, but he could appear at any moment, and maybe if she kept quiet, he'd think she'd left and leave as well.

Limping and engulfed in the pure agony her injure provoked her, she started to walk towards the door in the kitchen that led to the backyard, trying to be as silent as possible. She had been horrified, disgusted and desperate. Remembering how she'd felt, sitting on the edge of her bed and with eighteen years of age, she got goose bumps.

And then, Tsunade had appeared and everything had continued the same way it did in her dream. She had only just dreamed a horrible memory of her past... a nightmare that had happened in reality.

There was a knock on the door. Shizune stepped into the room. When she saw her, her dark eyes widened and she hurried towards her. "Sakura?" she said, touching her arms. "Honey, what happened!"

Sakura looked at her with confusion. A moment later, she realized her cheeks felt wet and warmer than usual: she had been crying. She raised a hand to wipe her tears. "Oh... nothing," she said, sniffing. "I just... I mean, I think... Shizune, I..."

"Don't worry, you don't have to explain yourself," her cousin said, sitting next to her. "You have all the right to cry, Sakura. It's okay."

"No, it's not that," she replied, shaking her head. "I mean, I'm not crying because of all that's happened lately... I'm crying because I _remembered_."

"Remembered what?"

"Everything."

Shizune was perplexed for a second, but then her eyes filled with understanding. "Oh. You mean about... your past?"

"Yes. I remembered about my past. I remember my parents, my grandparents, their voices, their faces, that Tsunade and Inoichi really are my aunt and uncle... And about the night my parents were...," she gulped, "killed."

"Oh my God." She looked astonished. "But... how?"

"I have no idea! Up until today, I couldn't even remember what my maternal grandparents looked like. I knew they were alive and living in another continent, but I didn't remember ever meeting them..." She was quiet for a couple moments, trying to remember more about them. "But you know? I remember I did meet them, when I was very young. I have few memories about them... but I have. And they... they were very nice to me, which is weird. They've never come to visit or called before. I bet they don't even know my aunt is comatose. I had thought they hated me and didn't want to know anything about me..."

"Well, I don't know them at all," Shizune said, "but I'm sure there is a good reason they never visit or call. Besides, Mom doesn't hate them or anything, though she barely speaks about them, so I think they're nice."

They were silent for a few moments, until Shizune asked softly, "Are you okay, Sakura?"

Sakura resisted the urge to snort. Of course she was not okay! She'd just remembered her most horrible and traumatizing memory. But Shizune just wanted to be nice, so she just said, "I need time to think... This hasn't been easy." She stood up, grabbed her purse and walked out of her bedroom.

"Where are you going?" Shizune asked, walking behind her.

"I'll go visit aunt Tsunade," Sakura replied. "Her hospital room's the only peaceful place I know, and I need to be there urgently."

* * *

><p>Mikoto's dark eyes widened. "<em>No<em>! Absolutely _no_!"

"Mikoto, listen to me," Fugaku said patiently. He had expected this kind of reaction, and he had already planned what to say. "The boys are right. Things have changed now that Sakura's instincts have awaken. If some vampire not aware of this situation comes to this house and finds out what she is, you know things will get ugly afterward."

"How can anyone realize what she is?" the woman exclaimed, hysteric. "She won't be walking around showing her fangs to everyone and drinking a glass of blood! Instincts awake or not, she still looks perfectly human!"

"When she's not hungry," he pointed out.

"Well, yes, when she's not hungry – but don't think she'll be hungry all day! I'm guessing she'll be like any other vampire whose instincts have just awaken from now on, but I'm sure she will keep herself well-fed and under control. She's not a baby, you know? She can take care of herself, and she is a very responsible young lady, I can see that. Also, Ino Yamanaka will be here to take care of her. No one will notice anything!"

"And what about her smell? Half-breeds smell different."

"Well, I've never smelled one, but I'm sure it's not that... _obvious_, right?"

"But darling," Fugaku said, stepping closer to his wife and deciding to be more gentle, "please understand. If by any chance she gets find out, not only will they probably kill her, but they will punish us as well."

"But that's_ illegal_!" she squeaked. "Isn't there a law that protects half-breeds? And why would they punish _us_?"

The man sighed. "Mikoto, don't be a fool," he said lowly. "In our society, rules are just formalities. You know that, in the end, the most powerful ones end up deciding what to do. The leaders don't like half-breeds, even when they agreed to treat them like any other vampires. You know what happened to Hikari and his husband... and what would have happened to Sakura."

His wife was on the verge of tears. "Yes..."

"That was many years ago, but things haven't changed much yet. Why do you think you've never met a half-breed before? They hunt them down and eliminate them, because they are sure they're the key to our extinction. And the few half-breeds left live a life of running and hiding... and Sakura is destined to live one like that."

"What if she doesn't want to?" Mikoto whispered. "What if she wants to live a normal life? We could give it to her... we could just give her a job to make her feel normal, right?"

"But she is _not _normal, darling."

She was crying already. She looked beautiful when she cried, but he hated to see her like that. "Oh... please, Fugaku, _please_. I can't let her go so easily. Hikari did so many things for me; she was the only true friend I had and she was always there when I needed her. She would have wanted me to take care of her daughter, specially in these hard moments she is going through. I _owe_ this to her. Just... for a short time, let things continue like this. I know she will have to leave one day, but until then, until she makes up her mind, don't make me turn my back on her. She's just a girl..."

Fugaku frowned as his wife sobbed. He pondered for several moments, not sure of what to do, until he realized it wouldn't really be too bad if, for a short time, maybe a few weeks or a month, the girl continued working for them. Mikoto was right: her nature wouldn't be so obvious as long as she was responsible. And no one but them, Naruto and the Yamanakas knew about her; the rumor could not be spread so easily if so few people knew. Besides, the girl would leave, sooner or later. She would be an idiot if she decided to stay where she was more expected to be.

"Okay," he finally said. "Okay, she can stay. But only for a short time, until she realizes she has to leave the city."

Mikoto smiled through her tears. He thought she definitely was more beautiful when she smiled than when she cried. "Thank you... thank you, Fugaku." She hugged him briefly and looked him in the eye with a worried expression. "But what about the boys? They won't be pleased."

"I'll talk to them," he assured. "I'll make them understand. I'm sure they'll agree for as long as this is only temporal."

"Okay." She smiled again. "Thank you for understanding me, Fugaku."

Fugaku nodded, discreetly surprised. There was so much sincerity in his wife's eyes; she was truly grateful. He didn't understand why she cared about that girl so much if she had met her only a week ago, but she did. That made him feel kind of glad of taking the decision he just took.

* * *

><p>Sakura was sitting on a chair besides her aunt's bed. Somehow, it felt strange to call her aunt now that she knew they were really related. The good thing was that not much would change, because Sakura had been loving her as a niece for almost her whole life. She was still her aunt, her real aunt, but she would always care for her the same.<p>

The woman looked as beautiful as always. Her eyes closed, her fair skin smooth like a porcelain doll's, his dirty blond hair perfectly tucked behind her head, and his body still except for the constant rising and lowering of her chest showing she was breathing. She looked so gorgeous... so dead.

Sakura frowned, telling herself not to think that way about this situation. Tsunade was not dead, she was just... sleeping. She'd hit her head in the accident but she could wake up at any moment because it hadn't been a serious injury. She would wake up someday... when she least expected it.

She liked the silence and the smell of cleanness and medicine in the hospital. It was a relaxing place, the perfect place to think, better than a beach or a forest, at least for her. She also liked that she could talk to Tsunade and, since she wouldn't interrupt her, she could keep on and on until she had taken it all out.

And so she did. She told everything to Tsunade. If the woman was listening, she didn't show it, but Sakura didn't mind; she just wanted to let it out.

"Why can I suddenly remember everything? Is it because of what has happened recently? Is this my gift? Well, how can it be a gift to remember your past? Everyone can... except for me, but that was before. Why couldn't I remember all those things before, aunt? _Why_?"

As expected, Tsunade didn't give her any answer. Sakura stayed there quietly for a few more minutes and then, when she felt slightly better, yet as confused as she'd arrived, she stood up, kissed the woman's cheek goodbye and left.

* * *

><p>"Only for a short time?" Itachi repeated, raising an eyebrow. He pondered for a moment, examining his parents' faces, and then said, "Okay... but only because we're talking about less than a month, correct?"<p>

"Yes, it's not going to be more than thirty days." _Or so I hope_, Fugaku thought. He turned to his younger son. "Sasuke?"

The boy seemed to be trying hard not to show his irritation. He was clearly unsatisfied with this, but he was not stupid and he could see this was not negotiable. He looked up at his father and sighed. "Fine," he said dryly. "But if anything happens, don't say I didn't told you so."

"Well, sons, thank you for understanding. Your mother will be very pleased. Apparently, that girl means a lot more to her than what we think. She thinks she owes it to her mother."

Sasuke snorted and Itachi simply commented, "I wonder why."

The older man shrugged and then turned to leave. He spotted Naruto sitting on the couch, pretending to read a book, and he paused to tell him, "Naruto, I hope you understand this is a very delicate matter and that you can't talk about it with anyone."

The boy was startled for a moment. "Oh! Uh, yes, sir, I do understand. I know how to keep a secret; you don't have to worry."

"Good," Mr. Uchiha said, and then he exited the room.

Naruto put the book aside and stood up. "So," he said as he walked over to where his vampire friends were standing, "I guess it's okay if it's only for a short time, huh?"

"Me too," Itachi said, glancing at his brother. "But you don't seem very happy, Sasuke."

"I just don't want her here," he replied through gritted teeth. "If someone finds out we mix with half-breeds..."

"Hey, chill out, man!" the blond exclaimed, putting an arm around his best friend's shoulders. "Don't be so paranoid!"

Sasuke didn't relax. He shrugged his arm off. "I'm not paranoid. I'm just realistic."

"Don't attach much importance to it, Sasuke," his brother advised casually. "This will be just temporal. The girl probably won't come to work tomorrow; maybe she decided to leave as fast as possible. Or maybe she'll decide to quit. Who knows."

Sasuke sighed, trying had to believe his brother, but finding himself unable to. Somehow, even when he barely knew her, leaving so quickly didn't sound like something that half-breed would do.

* * *

><p><span>Notes<span>: Yay, long chapter! Hope you enjoyed, please review :)


	19. The favor

**Chapter eighteen**

_The favor_

Sakura was giving the final touches to her make up when she heard the phone ringing. Since Shizune had overslept and was taking a quick shower right now, she hurried down the stairs to get the phone, making a mental note of getting a second phone to put it upstairs.

"Hello?" she answered after the fourth ring.

"_Sakura, it's me_."

"Oh, hey, Ino," she said, momentarily surprised. "What... what's up?"

"_Um, nothing much... How are you?_"

"Fine," Sakura replied. She didn't know how to act or feel towards her anymore. Things had changed a _lot_. Ino was a vampire, for God's sakes, and so was Sakura (though only half of her); they were not even humans anymore. And, even if she'd just wanted to protect her, Ino had hidden so many things from her! And, God, she still could not believe they were relatives! "And... and you?"

"_Yeah, I'm alright. Listen, um... I just wanted to know if you're going to work today._"

"Uh, I guess so... Why wouldn't I?" she asked, smiling confusedly.

"_Well, you know, I just thought you'd want to take a few days off and... I don't know. Sorry, I shouldn't have called._"

"It's okay, thank you for caring. But I don't get why I would want to take a few days off."

"_Well, after everything that happened, I thought you would want to take some time to think and... You know what? Forget it, I'll just see you at work, okay?_"

"Uh, sure, see you there," Sakura said and then she hung up. She stood there immobile for a few moments, wondering if she should really take some days off to think, but she decided thinking was the least she wanted to do right now. She had to be busy and surrounded by people, because loneliness and inactivity were the main causes of depression. Besides, no matter what, life went on.

She went back to her room and finished getting ready. Shizune got ready in a few minutes and then she prepared a quick breakfast.

When they finished eating, her cousin stood up, opened the drawer under the sink and got something out. "Here," she said, handing that something to her. "Drink this."

Sakura took it and stared at it with a mix horror and fascination. It was a glass bottle, and it contained blood; she couldn't smell it, but what else would it be? Ketchup? "How did you... get this?" she asked breathlessly.

"You know, Tsunade is a vampire too, and she still fed before the accident. Right now she feeds intravenously, by the way. There are always vampires nurses in every hospital, and they discreetly take care of vampires who need to be there, though if vampires feel sick or something, they use to go to particular vampire doctors, not to human hospitals, of course."

Sakura barely heard what her cousin said. She was too afraid to concentrate on anything. "Is it human's?" she asked.

"What? Oh, no! It's animal's. And don't worry, no one killed any innocent bunny. You know those places where they kill cows and pigs to pack their meat and then sell it? Well, they keep the meat for the humans and we keep the blood for vampires. A fair trade, huh?"

"I guess." She gulped. Her throat was starting to burn and her mouth was so, so dry. "So... I drink it?"

"Yeah. You have to. Unless you want to kill a human maid at work."

She didn't want that, so she opened the bottle. The smell instantly filled her lungs, making her sigh pleasantly. Her hands started to shake, her whole body ached to drink, but she tried to be careful to not look like a hungry monster in front of her human cousin. She brought the bottle to her lips and drank slowly, suppressing moans of pleasure. It was just so delicious! How could it? What did it have? She loved it!

When she was done, she handed the empty bottle to Shizune and wiped her lips with the back of her hand. "I think I'll go brush my teeth again," she said, standing up. "I can't go to work knowing I have cow's blood all over my mouth."

"Okay, take your time," the older woman said, leaving the glass bottle in the sink. "I'll be waiting in the car. Lock the door when you go out."

Sakura went upstairs, to the bathroom, and washed her teeth, making sure not to leave any trace of that delicious liquid in her tongue and teeth. When she finished, she stared at her reflection in the mirror and sighed. She was a vampire, even if she wanted or not. She could not live hating herself forever. Sooner or later, she'd have to get used to drinking a bottle of blood every the morning.

"Be brave," she whispered to herself, and then she went back downstairs, took her bag, exited the house and got into Shizune's car.

On their way to the Uchiha mansion, Sakura realized how normal the world around her still was. Nothing had changed since the last time Shizune drove her through that already familiar road at the outskirts of the city.

She felt like she was the only thing that was not the same anymore.

* * *

><p>"Hey, is something wrong?" TenTen asked, frowning, as she tied her white apron around her waist.<p>

Ino examined her own reflection in the large mirror of the bathroom the female staff used as a changing room. The maid uniform was lame and she did not like it; it was too... _boring_, with its long sleeves and long skirt and its dull dark blue color, but she had to admit it: even in that piece of crap, she looked pretty hot. "Nope," she replied, smiling at the mirror. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, I don't mean if there's something wrong _right now_, because you seem pretty normal today, but you didn't on Saturday."

Ino resisted the impulse of rolling her eyes. "Really?" she asked innocently as she tied her apron.

"Yeah, really. You and Sakura were acting weird at the end of that day. Something happened, and _don't you dare _say it didn't, Ino Yamanaka, because I may be kind of lazy and clumsy sometimes, but I'm _not_ an idiot, okay?"

The blonde vampire gritted her teeth and turned to her friend. "Okay. There _was_ something wrong that day. We... we kind of argued and it got ugly, alright?" she lied. "That's why we didn't say anything then."

TenTen blinked. "What happened? Why did you argue?"

Ino sighed deeply and started to put her things in her purse, using this as an excuse to avoid eye contact; for some reason, she got nervous when she lied to TenTen and looked into her brown, smart eyes at the same time. "Well, um, it's kind of a delicate matter..."

"Family stuff?"

"Sort of," she said, suddenly having a good idea. "I, uh, I said some nasty things to her... about her aunt." TenTen gasped. "But I just did it because I was angry, okay! I didn't mean to... It's just that... fury kind of blinded me, you know?"

"But what were you angry about?" the brunette asked worriedly.

"Um... Sakura was having a bad day, and she took it out on me, telling me I was... _vain _and _selfish_ and _stupid_... And, since I was having a bad day too, I didn't keep quiet and..." She shrugged. "But we already apologized, so it's okay. We are all happy now, so no worries, alright?"

"Okay," TenTen said as they headed to the door. "But I was worried, you know. Because, damn, the air was tense in your dad's car that night!"

"Yeah, well, we weren't comfortable being in the same car together after what happened."

She giggled. "Seems like it. And talking about Sakura, she's not here yet. I wonder why."

"She's coming, don't worry. Maybe there's just traffic or something." _Or maybe she decided to stay home instead because of my call, _she thought, and wished it wouldn't be that way.

TenTen agreed, and then they went to put their bags in their lockers. They exited the locker room and then the kitchen. The brunette reluctantly headed to the basement, complaining about how boring it was down there. Ino told her to cheer up a bit and they agreed on meeting in the backyard at lunch time.

When her human friend (the only human friend she had, actually; she was the only one she liked) left, Ino went upstairs. She was supposed to go to the fourth floor and tidy the Uchihas' bedrooms along with a couple other chamber maids, but she decided to make a short stop at the second floor and say hello to the Uchiha sons.

She knocked the study's door. She was only guessing they were there, since they appeared to be there most of their free time, but she was glad to be right when the door was opened and Sasuke greeted her with a raising of an eyebrow. "Good morning, sir!" she said cheerfully. "I just decided to stop by and see how you were doing."

A corner of his mouth (that sweet mouth she would kiss if he weren't a jerk) was pulled upwards. "What? Now you assume we're friends or something?" he asked sarcastically.

"Not at all," she replied, not losing her composure. "I would stick a dagger into my heart before being friends with you, thank you very much."

He chuckled. "You do know that stake-a-vampire-and-he'll-die crap is a lie, right?"

"Oh, sweet, innocent Sasuke," she hummed, shaking her head. "_Anyone_ would die if they stick a dagger into their heart, honey. But you get my point, don't you? I'm just here to check how you're doing. I was worried you'd gone crazy after the last time we saw each other."

He chuckled again, and before he had the chance to reply, his older brother appeared behind him. "Well, good morning, Miss Yamanaka," Itachi said, opening the door wider. "Come on in."

"No, thank you, I'm a chamber maid; I have nothing to do in that study, and I'm also kind of in a hurry, because I should be doing my job instead of talking to you right now."

"As you wish," he shrugged. "So... how is everything?"

"It could be ten thousand times better, but it's fine, I guess," she answered. "But anyways, I'll get to the real point. I want to know what you decided to do."

"About what?" Itachi asked.

She rolled her blue eyes. "Ugh, about what else! Sakura, of course," she whispered very lowly.

"Well, we have no problem with her working here for as long as it's only temporal," Itachi said. "She has to be discreet, of course, or else she can endanger all of us. I think you should explain that to her later. The rest is none of our business, but I'm guessing she will leave the city soon, won't she?"

"I don't know yet," Ino said. "I guess she will... she has to. But... I know better than to expect the usual from her. She can be good at surprising people when she wants."

"She cannot work here much longer," Sasuke said bluntly. "Let her know that."

"No! I don't want to push her... and I'm sure she'll take the right choice, anyways. Though, even if she decided not to leave the city, she wouldn't work here for much time, trust me. She wants to go to med school, you know? She won't be a maid her whole life."

"I hope you're right..."

Ino examined the younger Uchiha for a moment. He seemed kind of angry, as if he disliked talking about Sakura. Was it because she was a half-breed? If so, he really was a jerk. It was such a shame, though... He had everything a girl wanted: good looks, money, even intelligence. Everything except a nice attitude, of course.

"Well, I will be going now," the blonde vampire announced. "Nice to see you're still alive. Have a good day."

She turned and left, hearing Itachi's chuckle as she walked. Since there was no one watching, she used her full speed to get to the fourth floor. She was stepping into one of the rooms less than three seconds later.

"You are late," one of the chamber maids, a cranky fifty-something year old woman, said as Ino hurried over to help her make the bed.

"I'm sorry," she said, trying not to give any excuse. That old woman seemed like the kind of person who didn't like excuses.

As she carefully put the blankets on the bed, she glanced around her, suddenly realizing it was the first time she was in one of the Uchiha's bedrooms. It looked like a normal room to her; it was spacious and it lacked of personality, but it was clean and organized. There was a wardrobe, a chest of drawers, a bookcase, two night tables at each side of the bed and a small desk. The walls were dark blue, the curtains gray, the furniture black and the blankets white: boring colors everywhere. She wondered whose it could be... Both brothers were very much alike, so it was a hard guess.

"Hey, newbie," the other chamber maid, a petite woman who looked only a couple years older than her, said from her right as they finished the bed. She was holding a feather duster in a hand and had a wide grin on her round face. "You must be excited to be here, right?"

"Um, why would I?" the vampire asked, glancing at the other maid. The old woman was busy organizing the objects on one of the night tables, so Ino thought she wouldn't notice if they chatted briefly.

"Well, because this is Sasuke Uchiha's bedroom!" the woman said, lowering her voice, though excitement was clear in her eyes. "Any girl our age would_ die_ to be here!"

"Uh, I don't understand why that's so thrilling," Ino said, smiling.

The weird maid rolled her eyes. "He's a hottie, girl. He sleeps on this bed every night, for God's sake. Isn't that...?"

"What?"

She narrowed her eyes. "You know what? Forget it. It's clear you don't like him. You gay, right?"

"What? _No!_"

"Oh, so you're loyal to your boyfriend, huh? I see."

The woman started to walk away, and Ino didn't bother to stop her. She wondered if all girls got like that because of that guy. He was handsome, yes, but clearly an idiot, so she didn't get what they liked about him. _Well,_ she thought, smirking_, maybe they like his hair, so silky and original, or his lips, thin and soft-looking – oh, or his face! He sure is handsome. And he seems to work out. I wonder what he looks like naked..._

Ino slapped a hand against her forehead. "Are you _crazy_?" she hissed to herself.

"Hey, newbie! Stop hitting yourself. We have more rooms to tidy," the cranky maid said from the door.

"Coming!" she replied through gritted teeth, hurrying out of the bedroom of that stupid, hot jerk.

* * *

><p>Sakura realized another reason why she should have taken some days off: it was awkward to be working for vampires, not because she was scared or disgusted, but because she was not very welcome in their society. Mr. Yamanaka had said the Uchihas knew what she was, and that meant they didn't hate her, so they wouldn't discriminate her. Still, it was uncomfortable to be working for them, in spite of them being nice towards her. Everything had changed completely, and she just didn't know how to act or what to think.<p>

At last, she decided to pretend everything was normal, that she was nothing but a maid to them and that everyone was still human and that vampires were still just a myth. That way, maybe she'd feel less nervous around them.

But she was wrong. It was just impossible to look into their eyes and not think about vampires. Besides, she suddenly noticed how much they really looked like vampires: pale skin, beautiful features, charming attitude (that last thing in everyone except Sasuke, of course). Also, maybe it was just her imagination, but she suddenly noticed something she hadn't noticed before: some sort of aura around them, an aura that was dangerous but also inviting. She couldn't _not_ feel awkward around them.

Besides, the worst part was when Sasuke was around. She felt not only nervous, but also kind of scared. How could she not? She'd dreamed about him for days, he'd been the protagonist of her nightmares more than once... and she had known him even before they actually met. It was just too _creepy_.

"More tea?" she offered, smiling politely. She was in the study, serving some snack to the Uchiha sons and their tutor, Kakashi Hatake, who seemed to be a vampire as well; she could feel that freaky aura around him, too. Sakura glanced at his cup of tea and saw it was empty. She didn't know how he could drink if he never took that weird mask off but, somehow, he always emptied his cup.

Another thing she didn't know was how Itachi and Sasuke could still have a tutor if they were supposed to be in the university. Did that man gave them all the classes they needed? How could he handle them both if they were clearly in different levels? Would they still graduate legally?

"Yes, please," the tutor said and she proceeded to re fill his cup, but only until it was half full, as he liked it. "You learn fast," the man complimented when she was done. "Most of the maids forget about my... need."

"It's not hard to remember it," Sakura assured, smiling, and then she turned to the other males. "Would you like-?"

"No thanks," Sasuke interrupted rudely, not looking up from his book. Sakura raised an eyebrow, offended and angry she couldn't snap something back because she could get fired.

Itachi stared at Sasuke disapprovingly for a few moments, and then he turned to her, smiled and said, "I do," handing her his empty cup.

Sakura smiled back and served him tea, realizing just how different the brothers really were. Itachi was polite, nice and mature, while Sasuke was just a stubborn, rude jerk. It really was a shame the younger brother could not learn a bit from the older.

As she exited the study to let them continue their morning lessons, she wondered how different Sasuke was from his family. What if he did discriminate half-breeds? What if he didn't want her there? She felt kind of hurt, she didn't like to be hated, but then she decided not to care about what an idiot like him would think about her for as long as the others were nice to her.

Though it still hurt.

Shaking her head, she decided not to think about it anymore. She walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. There, the cook and the kitchen maids were busy preparing lunch. Sakura glanced at the clock; it was almost midday. Later, when she'd gone to offer some tea to Mrs. Uchiha, she'd run into Ino and she'd told her to meet her and TenTen at the backyard for lunch. Sakura thought she didn't need to remind her that, since they always met there for lunch, but still assured she'd be there.

However, there were still ten minutes left before twelve, and she didn't want to go outside already because she'd be alone with her thoughts. She wanted to stay there and watch the maids prepare the lunch for the Uchihas; it distracted her.

She sat at the bar, leaving the tea tray on it, and watched. A couple minutes later, it got less interesting, and she looked around to see what else she could do to kill the few minutes she had left. She found a pencil and a small notebook on the bar, and she decided to borrow it for a moment. She started to doodle flowers and smiley faces on a clean sheet, until she decided to make a list instead. She liked lists, they were fun to make, but she didn't know what she could make it about. Chores she had yet to do? Things she had to buy?

Doubts about vampires?

Sakura looked around, making sure everyone was busy enough not to sneak on her and read what she was writing. Then, she turned to the notebook and started to write. As she did it, she wondered who she would ask those things she still couldn't understand about her second (or maybe first?) race. Maybe Ino, maybe Mr. Yamanaka... maybe even one the Uchihas, if they were willing. Anyone who would care to answer an ignorant half-breed's questions.

She finished right when the maids were hurrying into the dining room carrying the plates. She watched them and briefly wondered if vampires really needed to eat all that food or if the Uchihas just did it to seem human. She wrote that doubt down as well.

"What are you writing, newbie?"

Sakura smiled and hurried to rip the sheet from the notebook. "Oh, nothing," she told the curious maid. "Um, whose notebook is this?"

"Mine."

She blushed. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I – I thought you wouldn't mine if I-"

"Don't worry, I don't," the woman said, smiling kindly. "It's just a notebook."

"Oh, I'm really, really sorry, ma'am... I'm so rude for not asking you first."

"I said _don't worry_, girl, it's okay!" the maid laughed. "But what were you writing, huh?"

"Um, grocery shopping list," Sakura lied with a smile, slipping the piece of paper into the pocket of her apron. "I have to go now. Thank you for not getting mad."

She said good bye to the nice maid and hurried out of the kitchen. In her way, she saw TenTen coming. "Oh, hey, TenTen!"

"Hey," the brunette said, grinning. "I haven't seen you all day, girl! Uh, listen, I already know about what happened on Saturday, so it's fine, I guess, but please don't keep those kinds of things from me, Sakura. We're all friends, and I can help."

"You know? _Everything_?" Sakura asked disbelievingly. Her friend nodded solemnly. "Oh, God... Ino _told_ you?"

"Yeah, in the morning while we were getting changed."

"And you don't... hate us?"

"What? No!" she laughed. "Listen, people say things they don't mean when they're angry, so it's okay. At least you guys apologized to each other already."

Sakura realized her friend was not talking about vampires, so she faked a smile and nodded. "Oh, okay, um, you're right, I guess."

TenTen smiled back. "Anyways, I'm going to get our drinks. Ino is already in the backyard. I'll meet you there."

Sakura nodded and headed outside. When she got there, she spotted Ino sitting at one of the tables, the same they had been sitting when they'd met TenTen's adoptive brother, Naruto. When she remembered about him, she wondered if he knew about the Uchihas too. He certainly hadn't seem to be a vampire, but if he was Sasuke's best friend, she thought he should know.

"Hi there," she said as she sat besides her blonde cousin.

"Hey," she replied. "How has your day been?"

"Okay, I guess." They were quiet for a moment, and then Sakura leaned closed and asked, "Ino, what did you tell TenTen that happened on Saturday?"

"Oh. Well, she noticed we were acting weird, so I lied to her. I told her you said nasty things about me because you were having a bad day, and that I said mean things about your aunt, because I was in a bad mood too."

"Well you should've told me! She told me she knew what had happened and I had thought you'd told her about... vampires," she whispered. "I could've said something wrong, Ino! Don't you ever lie without telling me about it."

"Okay, okay, sorry! My mistake!"

Sakura sighed, put her elbow on the table and rested her chin in her hand, watching the garden. "Fine." She glanced back at her cousin. "And how was your morning?"

"Good, I suppose." They looked at each other for a long moment, and then Ino suddenly grinned and leaned closer. "You know? I can't believe there are no secrets between us anymore. It feels so... I don't know; I feel so complete. I don't have to lie to you or anything. Now we're both hot vamp chicks!"

Sakura smiled. "Well, I can't believe you are my cousin."

"Oh, yeah! So weird, right? Like, we have the same grandparents, dude! Same genes and blood and everything! And we don't look that different, you know? You're naturally blonde too."

"Yeah, but my hair is dirty blond, like aunt Tsunade's, and yours is lighter, like...," her smile vanished, "like my mom's."

Ino's smile vanished too. She fidgeted in her chair and sighed. "I remember her, you know?" she said, trying to smile again. "Not much, but I do. And... I remember your dad, too. He was nice and... he was good telling stories."

Sakura smiled weakly. "I know. I remember, too."

"You... you do?"

"Yeah." And then she started to tell her about all the things she'd remembered, not mentioning anything about the gory memory of her parent's death. She'd already talked to Tsunade about it, and she didn't have the stomach to describe everything twice. "Weird, huh?" she finalized.

"Yeah... really weird."

In that moment, TenTen came back carrying their lunches. She left them on the table, sat on a chair and then they started to lunch and chatter about their lives. Sakura thought it was weird to have to keep such a big secret from TenTen, and she imagined how it had been like for Ino. No wonder she was so happy to share the secret with someone else.

When they had to go back to work, TenTen left first, saying she had to find the head house maid to talk about some problems they were having with the laundry machines. Sakura and Ino took the dirty dishes to the kitchen.

"Um, Ino?" she said before they had to part ways.

"What's up?"

"You know how I'm new at this... _vampire_ thing," she whispered, "right?"

"Yeah..."

"So, um, I was wondering if you could answer some, uh, questions I have."

Ino smiled. "Sure! No problem. Are there a lot?"

"Uh, no, only a few. So, um... when do you have time?"

"Well, we can do it during the dinner, at five. We won't be busy."

"Okay. Good. Um, thank you."

"Hey, that's what cousins are for," she said, winking. "Anyways, I'll see you in the study at five, okay?"

"In the study?"

"Yeah. Itachi and Sasuke – I mean, the _sirs_, will be having dinner, so I'm sure it's okay for us to talk there for some minutes."

"Okay. See you, then."

The blonde waved a hand and exited the kitchen. Sakura stood there for a moment. She took her list out of her apron's pocket and read it again, making sure she'd written everything she wanted to know. Then, she went back to work.

* * *

><p>Ino finished her duties at four, and she sneaked away to the second floor. She knocked the study's door for the second time in the day and waited. Inside, she suddenly heard Sasuke scream, "GODDAMMIT, ITACHI!" and then Itachi laughing. She smiled, wondering what was happening in there.<p>

A moment later, Sasuke opened the door. He was holding his hand against his left eye and looked like he could kill someone at any moment. "What do you want now?" he asked, clearly annoyed.

Ino opened her mouth to snap something much more rude back, but suddenly, she remember being in his room and the way she'd thought about him there. With him standing right in front of her, it was a lot less hard to picture him naked, and she blushed violently and looked away. "U-uh... I, um... I-"

"_What_?"

She looked back at him. "Nothing," she said, controlling herself. "I mean, not with you. I'm looking for Mr. Hatake."

He frowned. "What do you want Kakashi for?"

"None – of – your business," she said, smiling happily. "Now, would you let me in, or do I have to shove you outta my way?"

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"I'm Ino Yamanaka, an eighteen-year-old vampire and future leader of my clan," she replied solemnly. "Don't get fooled by me working for you as a maid. We're on the same level right now, but in the future I'll be superior, so you better watch your tone, pretty boy."

His face darkened. She realized he hated that someone talked to him like that as much as she did, and was surprised to see they had more in common than what she'd thought. Before he could say anything, Itachi appeared behind him, just like in the morning. "What a lovely surprise, Miss Yamanaka," he said, smirking. "Come on in."

"Thank you," she said cheerfully, shoving Sasuke aside to step into the study. She felt his murderous aura behind her, but she didn't worry. They were both on the same level, as she'd said. Besides, he couldn't be stupid enough to dare hit a girl. "So, what were you doing before I came? I heard some screaming in here."

"I was practicing my levitation and I accidently hit Sasuke in the eye with a pen," Itachi said, smirking.

Ino grinned. "Ohhh, your gift is levitation? I didn't know that! How's your eye, Sasuke?"

He didn't answer but, instead of feeling offended, she laughed at him.

"Well, well, isn't it the Yamanaka heiress," Kakashi said. He was sitting on the couch, mysterious and realaxed as always, holding a cup of tea in his hand. She wondered how the hell he drank if he was always wearing that mask. What was underneath, anyways? Did he have scars or something like that?

"Good afternoon, sir," she said, bowing slightly.

"Why are you a maid?" he asked bluntly. "Is this some kind of punishment? What did you do?"

"It's a long story," she replied. "I can tell it to you later. Right now, I have a favor to ask you."

"A favor?" he asked, slightly surprised. "Does it have to do with the half-breed?"

Ino's eyes widened. She glanced at the Uchiha brothers accusingly. "Yes, we told him," Itachi said calmly, "but we trust him, Ino; you can trust him too."

"I know everything about the Uchihas, miss," Kakashi said. "And I've kept their secrets for years. Besides, I have nothing against neither half-breeds or the Yamanakas or that girl."

"It's fine," she said. "I was going to tell you about it myself, anyways, because, yes, it has to do with her."

"What is it about?" he asked.

"Well, you'll see, it's kind of embarrassing... but she, like, asked me to answer some questions she had about vampires and everything. I was okay with it at first, but then I got nervous because I don't really know much about my kind – yes, pathetic, I know; I just don't care enough to learn. And anyways, I'm afraid she'll ask me something I don't know and I don't want to look like an idiot, so I thought, 'Hey, I should just get someone else to help me with it, and he could answer the questions I don't know and stuff!' So..., I was in the kitchen, wondering who would be kind enough to help me, and since I was looking for someone really smart and educated, I thought of _you_, Mr. Hatake."

He nodded thoughtfully. "Very well... I guess I am willing to help as long as it's fast and in a place I feel comfortable in."

"Oh, sure!" she exclaimed, glad he'd said yes. "It'll be fast, there are few questions, and it'll be in this study, during dinner."

"Excellent." He sighed. "I look forward to meeting that girl... What's her name?"

"Sakura," Ino replied, narrowing her eyes. "And... you're just going to do this because you're curious about her, right?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Maybe."

"Well, whatever." She started to walk to the door. "Thank you so much, Mr. Hatake, see you here at five!" she exclaimed, and then she happily exited the room.

* * *

><p><span>Notes<span>: I know there is not any romance yet, but there will be very soon, and a lot, I promise! This story will be kind of long, thirty-something chapters perhaps, so this is just the beggining, that's why things are not very exciting right now. But I have the whole story figured out and it's going to be pretty good, so be patient ;)


	20. The talk

**Chapter nineteen**

_The talk_

The dinner was going to start in only a few minutes. Sakura entered the kitchen to get a glass of water. She was tired, but at least she'd already finished all of her duties. In the kitchen, the maids and the cook were hurrying to give the final touches to today's dinner, and she was suddenly glad she was a parlor maid instead of a kitchen maid; they sure seemed to have a lot of work. She just had to serve tea and tidy the living areas, the study and the offices: piece of cake.

She drank two glasses of water, but her thirst was not completely gone. She frowned at the empty glass for a moment, and when she realized what was going on, her green eyes widened and she looked around, panicking. What was she going to do now? Where the hell was Ino? She needed blood, but she couldn't just walk up to a random maid and ask her where they kept the blood. Besides, the maids most certainly had no idea vampires were even real.

She needed to find Ino, or any of the Uchihas. It was her only choice.

As discreetly as she could and trying to look casual and calm, she made her way towards the kitchen's door. None of the maids noticed her, but she did notice them, specially that juicy, fat vein in their necks and the ones in their wrists. She bit her lip to keep from screaming out of terror, aversion and sadness. She could not believe she wanted to suck the blood from those poor women!

Sakura was just about to step out of the kitchen when someone grabbed her wrist. She gasped and turned to face some kitchen maid she didn't remember seeing before. She saw her eyes, filled with annoyance, and then the pounding vein in the side of her neck...

"What do you want!" Sakura squeaked, horrified at herself.

The maid looked at her with astonishment for a moment, and then she rolled her eyes. "Look, girl, you're a parlor maid and you're not doing anything, so help us out with some things here, okay?"

Her green eyes widened. She remembered what had happened the last time she'd helped in the kitchen, and she definitely did not want something like that to happen again.

The maid smiled slightly, as if she'd read her mind. "Yeah, I know what happened the last time you helped in the kitchen, I was there, but for as long as you don't see blood everything will be okay, right?"

Sakura thought for a moment. If it was something fast and easy, maybe she could help and then hurry to find Ino. The burning in her throat was not really that bad yet, anyways. "Okay," she said lowly. "What do you want me to do?"

"Just serve the food on the plates. Here, come with me."

Sakura followed her to the furthest corner of the kitchen, were the stoves sat. The maid indicated her how to do it and gave her the plates. "Don't get nervous," she told her. "You'll do alright. You know? I had a cousin who was like you: blood-phobic, or whatever the hell it's called."

"It's called hematophobic."

"Oh. Yeah, that," the maid said, shrugging. "Okay, I'll be over there. I'll come back when you're finished. Oh, and thanks for helping."

Sakura smiled tensely and when the maid left, she hurried to do her task. Her throat was engulfed in dark fire and her mouth was getting as dry as a desert, but she had to learn how to control herself. She just tried to not think about how she felt and to hurry with what she was doing.

The maid came back right after she was done. "Okay, newbie, good job. Thank you."

"It's okay," Sakura said anxiously. "Can I leave now?"

"Uh, sure."

Relieved and already desperate, Sakura turned to the door. However, she moved too fast and carelessly, and she accidentally knocked an empty plate off with her hand. The plate smashed into pieces as soon as it hit the floor. Both she and the maid gasped in horror.

"Oh my God, I'm so _sorry_!"

"It's alright, I'll get it," the maid said nervously, and even before she knelt down to pick the broken pieces up, Sakura somehow knew what was going to happen.

For a blissful second, nothing happened, and she thought nothing was going to go wrong, but then the maid exclaimed, "Ouch!" and an instant later, the smell, so appetizing it was frightening, filled her nose, her lungs and her whole being. Sakura looked down at the maid and saw her grimacing at her bleeding hand. The sight of that red liquid made its smell even more intense, even more inviting, and she suddenly felt something sharp against her tongue. They were her teeth... her fangs.

Sakura screamed, terrorized of herself, and, holding her breath so that she wouldn't have to smell that delightful and at the same time abominating liquid, she ran into the staff's locker room and locked herself in the bathroom.

* * *

><p>Sasuke hadn't gone into the kitchen in a long time. This was his first time in many, many years. He wanted to find the maid who put onions in his meal and to tell her about the size of her ineptitude in a way that would make her learn not to make the same mistake ever again. The kitchen maids were astonished and confused as soon as he stepped into the place, but he ignored them. He was too focused on finding that brainless woman to care about anything else.<p>

However, he instantly forgot about that maid when he saw a pink haired girl at the furthest corner of the room. It was the half-breed, Sakura Haruno. She was at the stoves, serving food on plates, which intrigued him. Wasn't she a parlor maid? Why was she doing that?

A maid approached the half-breed and they talked briefly. Then, he watched as her face filled with relief and she turned towards the door. But her hand knocked a plate over, and it crashed noisily against the floor. The half-breed apologized to the woman in front of her, clearly ashamed and frightened, but the maid in front of her didn't get angry; she just knelt down and started to pick the broken plate up.

And then the smell came. He didn't go crazy about it; it was delicious, yes, but he'd already fed a couple hours ago, so he was not hungry. The half-breed, however, seemed to be another case. The smell affected her instantly, making her face change and her eyes widen. Sasuke's eyes widened as well, because for a moment she looked like she was going to attack the human maid, but then she turned around and ran into what he remembered was the staff's locker room.

Sasuke stood there for a moment, rigid as a rock and very angry. This was exactly what he hadn't wanted to happen! That girl was a danger, not only for their human staff, but for them as well. What will the other humans say when they see one of their maids suddenly attacking another? They'll find out about them, and all because of that damn half-breed.

But it was no time to be mad. Miraculously, the girl had controlled herself, but she wouldn't get any blood locked in the locker room, and sooner or later she'd lose her sanity and would come out and kill every human in the house. Sasuke had to do something, even if he wanted or not, and even if it was his responsibility or not.

There was no time for going for his family and explaining what had happened, so he just said, loudly enough for everyone in the kitchen to hear, "Get out. _Now_."

Since he was not good at being nice to people, most of the staff either didn't like him, was scared of him, or both, so everyone immediately obeyed his orders, murmuring things about him being insane and creepy.

Every vampire had humans as servants, but it was not allowed to tell those humans what they really were. A vampire could not reveal their identity to any human; the human had to be someone they really trusted, but that wasn't all; there would also have to be a trial where the vampire authorities would decide whether or not the human could be trusted, and in case they said yes, the human would have to swear not to speak a word about them and to agree to be punished with death in case he or she broke the oath.

That was why the staff didn't and could never know that the Uchihas had a secret safe-deposit box in the kitchen where they kept their blood.

Sasuke walked over to the fridge and pushed it to the left. The safe was right behind it, hidden from any person who was not an Uchiha. It was large enough to contain approximately thirty glass bottles of one liter containing frozen animal blood, and he knew the password ever since he was a kid. He took a bottle out and closed the safe. Then, he hurried into the locker room.

The younger Uchiha had never been there; he had no reason to. When he stepped in, he instantly sharpened his senses. He heard some sobbing and gasping in the women's bathroom and, after hesitating for a second, he stormed inside.

The half-breed was sitting in a corner, hugging her knees to her chest and covering her face with her hands. Her sobs made her shoulders shake violently. Sasuke took a step closer, and then another, and then another, until he was standing right in front of her.

"Hey," he said. "Look up."

Slowly, she raised her head and looked at him. When their eyes met, his whole body immobilized.

She looked so beautiful... so perfect... so _vampire_.

They looked at each other for a long moment, until she frowned and asked hoarsely, "What are you doing here?"

Sasuke wet his lips "I don't want you to drain any human in my house, so take this." He handed her the bottle. She looked at it as if she'd never seen something like that before. "It's blood," he said, raising his eyebrows. "But not human's, of course. So drink it. It's an _order_."

The half-breed took the bottle. Their fingers brushed when she did so; hers were soft and very warm. "Thank you," she whispered weakly, standing up.

He stepped back and looked away, giving her privacy. From the corner of his eye, he saw her open the bottle, bring it to her lips... and then pause and turn her head to the right to look at the large mirror on the wall. He looked at her questioningly. "Drink it already. Aren't you thirsty?"

The girl didn't answer. She was hypnotized with her reflection. "Look at me," she whispered dreamily, a ghost of a smile in her lips. "I look like a vampire."

"You _are_ a vampire," he said, annoyed.

"And you are, too." Her weak smile widened. "Before, you lied and told me you weren't... remember? But I knew you were. I always did. And you're a _liar_."

"Don't make me waste my time. Feed already."

"_Feed_... I _feed_? Like an _animal_?" She chuckled. "Well, I guess I _am _an animal. I'm a blood-thirsty beast. A freaking vampire, right?"

Sasuke frowned. He knew she was probably in shock or something, and that was why she was speaking nonsense, but it still made him mad to hear her call vampires beasts. "You're only half vampire," he said, "so don't get too excited about it."

She sighed deeply and looked at him. "Yes. I'm only half vampire. But, you know? That's the worst part."

His frown deepened, but he didn't reply. She stared at him for one more moment, and then she closed her eyes and started to gulp the blood down. At first she did it calmly, but then she turned avid and desperate, as if she couldn't get enough of it. Blood dripped from the corners of her mouth. He looked away, uncomfortable.

When she was done, she handed him the bottle back. She looked plainly human once again, and he was relieved; for some reason, he hadn't liked to see her look so vampire-like. "Thank you. Again. I don't know what I would've-"

"_Don't _thank me," he interrupted. "I didn't do this because I wanted to help you. Like I said, I just didn't want you to kill anyone."

The half-breed put her hands behind her back and lowered her head. "I am _very_ sorry," she said, embarrassment clear in her features. "I totally forgot about... uh, feeding. Also, I shouldn't have agreed to help in the kitchen; if I hadn't, nothing of this would've happened."

"I can't believe you came to work without feeding," he said through gritted his teeth.

"I didn't! I fed in the morning, after breakfast, but that was all I had until now. I... I should've fed after lunch too, right?" she asked, smiling sadly.

"Yes. You have to feed after every meal." And suddenly, he realized she didn't really have all the fault, because no one had told her how constantly she had to feed. And by no one, he meant Ino. She was responsible of the half-breed; she promised she'd take care of her, and look what happened. Sasuke would have to have a few words with her.

"I don't want this to happen ever again," he told the embarrassed girl, "or else I'll make sure you never step into this house again. Understood?"

"Understood," she said, nodding once.

"Good." He turned around and headed to the door. "Don't tell anyone I was here with you," he ordered before exiting the bathroom and hurrying to the second floor.

* * *

><p>When Sasuke left, Sakura glanced one last time at the mirror. She looked like herself again: unattractive, simple, boring... <em>human<em>. And there was blood all over her lips and chin. She went to one of the stalls, took some toilet paper and cleaned herself with it. Then, she fixed her hair and clothes, and calmly went back to the kitchen.

The kitchen staff seemed excited and intrigued. Was the fuss about her? Were they talking about how dumb she was for being supposedly phobic to blood and for breaking a plate? Or had someone seen her fangs and told everyone?

However, they all ignored her. The only one that noticed her was the maid who'd cut herself with the broken plate. She walked up to her as soon as she saw her, and worriedly asked, "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yes," Sakura replied, smiling softly. "How's your finger?"

The maid glanced at her finger, which was now wrapped around a band aid, and smiled. "Oh, it's nothing. I'm so sorry for what happened, though... I should've been more careful."

"No, it's my fault. I knocked the plate over. By the way, am I in any trouble because of that?"

"Well, I will have to report it to the cook, and he will certainly report it to the Housekeeper, but I don't think you're really in trouble. You'll just have to pay for the plate, that's all. Maybe you'll just have to pay it and then the problem will be forgotten."

"Maybe..."

"Anyways... thank you for your help, again," the maid said sincerely.

"Oh, it's nothing. But next time..."

The maid nodded "I get it: no more duties in the kitchen for you. It won't happen again."

"Yeah. Thanks. I guess I'm just unlucky," Sakura admitted, shrugging. Then, she said good bye to the maid and headed to the door.

As she walked, she glanced at the clock and saw it was time to go meet Ino in the study. She slipped her hand into the pocket of her apron and confirmed the list was still there. _Seems I'm not _that_ unlucky after all_, she thought, smiling slightly.

She walked up the stairs and stopped in front of the study's closed door. She raised her fist to knock, but she froze when she heard Ino yelling inside. "Okay, okay, I'm the worst person ever, I get it! What are you going to do? Sue me?"

"It is your fucking responsibility, Ino!" someone replied. Sakura recognized the voice immediately: it was Sasuke."That half-breed is a risk for us, and you are here only to take care of her, which apparently you're not doing!"

Forgetting about knocking, Sakura opened the door and stepped inside. The three people in the room turned to her, alarmed. "Sakura," Mr. Hatake said, and smiled behind his mask. "Glad you're finally here."

"Why are you fighting?" she asked her cousin, ignoring Mr. Hatake. She turned to Sasuke. "Is it because of what happened?"

"Of course," he said through gritted teeth. "You're an idiot for not feeding, but it was not necessarily your fault." He glared at Ino. "_Someone_ should've told you how often you had to feed."

"I was going to!" the blonde exclaimed.

The Uchiha opened his mouth to say something, but Mr. Hatake interrupted him. "Sasuke. The two of you can discuss this later. I don't have much time; let's not waste it."

Sasuke glared at his tutor for a long moment, and then he sighed and stormed out of the room. He brushed past Sakura on his way to the door, almost making her lose her balance. "Watch out, you jerk!" Ino screamed after him.

"Ino, quit it," Sakura said, slightly angry as well but not in the mood for fights. She closed the door when Sasuke left and then turned to the only man left in the room. "Thank you for that, Mr. Hatake."

"He has a bad temperament, but he's a good boy, don't mind him," he commented, sitting on the couch. "Anyways... Let's get started, shall we?"

Sakura looked at him questioningly. "He's going to join us for this," Ino explained, smiling sheepishly, as she took a seat besides him. "The two of us will answer your questions. Kakashi is a vampire as well, if you hadn't noticed, and he knows a lot more than me, so he can tell you more things I can't."

"Oh. I see. Um, thanks, Mr. Hatake."

"Call me Kakashi, Sakura," he said, winking his only visible eye.

"Um, are you sure?"

"Yes. I don't like things to be formal with people who are not strangers to me. Now, take a seat over there, please," he said, motioning the individual couch in front of them.

Sakura obeyed. She straightened her back and crossed her legs. "So..." she started, smiling nervously. "Do I start asking... now?"

Ino nodded happily. "Bring it on."

"Okay." Sakura sighed and took the list out of her apron's pocket. She unfolded the paper and read the first question. "So, um... I just thought that, since I'm already a vampire and everything, or half-breed vampire, whatever... I have to know about my race and stuff, you know? And there are things I still don't get... like, for example, how is it possible that they... I mean, you... I mean, _we_ are alive?"

"Why wouldn't us?" Kakashi asked.

"Well, it's just that, I know they're lies and everything, Mr. Yamanaka already told me that, but, I don't know; I just really thought that, if vampires existed, then they must be undead, like in the movies, you know what I mean?"

Kakashi chuckled. "It is impossible to be undead, Sakura. You're either dead or alive. Besides, a being would only be able to walk and think without a beating heart with the help of magic, and that would be _very_ strong magic."

"Only hardcore wizards can do that kind of magic," Ino explained.

"Okay..." She read the list. "Why are there so many fake myths about vampires? Who made them up?"

"A lot of people," Kakashi answered. "Vampires and humans. We started them, saying things like holy water being like acid for us, garlic being able to repel us, sunlight making us burst into flames, and we did it just to fool humans."

"For example," Ino said, "you can say you're not a vampire and humans will believe you because they'll prove you have a reflection in the mirror. We created all those rumors for our benefit. Then, humans with a great and morbid imagination created more rumors, like we could die only if we were staked in the heart, or that our fangs were always there, or that we were really hairy. Only very few of all those rumors are true."

"Which ones?"

"Um, let's see...," the blonde said thoughtfully. "Well, we heal and run faster than humans; we're also kind of stronger and smarter; we don't actually need to eat, because we could drink blood all our life and be okay, though not as healthy as we have to; we are not immortal, but we do age slower, so much that the average vampire lives more than a hundred years; oh, and sunlight can't actually kill us, but we can dehydrate way faster than a human."

"Wow," Sakura said, fascinated. "And talking about hydrating, how long can we go without blood?"

"Without a single drop of blood?" Kakashi asked. "Not much. Less than a week."

"And what would happen then? Would we die?"

"Not instantly. First, the pain would make us go crazy and do terrible things, like killing humans and even vampires. Then, since our sanity would be completely gone, we'd more likely end up killing ourselves or getting killed by someone else. If none of those two things happen, then we die eventually; our own bodies kill themselves without even having an injury."

Sakura gulped. "Why... why do we need blood so much?"

"You'll see, it's not because we're demonic beings," the man explained. "We have absolutely nothing to do with Satan or demons, nothing to do with religion. It's all about science; even magic is science. Our condition is biological. It could be said that vampires are mere humans, just a different kind."

"We kind of have a genetic mutation," Ino said.

"Yes, that may be a good way to describe it. But the point is, we're not _that_ different from humans. We're even born like them, did you you know that?"

"I did," Sakura said, "and I don't get that, either."

"We're humans," Kakashi said, "but there's something different in our bodies... in our blood, to be more precise. All vampires have the same type of blood: V negative."

"V negative?" the girl repeated, perplexed. "That does not exist!"

"It does, Sakura. It does."

She opened her mouth to protest, but then she realized that she'd said the same thing about vampires only a few days ago. "Okay," she sighed. "So... V negative. Is it a coincidence that the word 'vampire' has a v?"

"Perhaps," Kakashi smiled.

"And, uh... is there V positive?"

"Yes," he answered. "All vampires are born with that type of blood, which is harmless, a normal type, like A positive or O negative, though a very rare one. But then, at puberty, our instincts awake; by saying that, we mean our blood turns V negative. Said type of blood is toxic to a human's body, and in order to survive, we start to have the urgent need of human or animal blood. Their blood is not toxic, like ours, and when we consume it, it keeps our blood from killing us."

"Is that why it's so delicious?" she asked.

"Well," Ino said, "if we have to drink it to survive, the experience might as well be pleasant."

"And what does the V negative does to the body? How does it kill us?

"I said our bodies kill themselves if we don't have blood for days," Kakashi said, "but what I really meant was that our own blood kills our bodies. It make us weaker and it exterminates all of our defenses and our brain cells until we just die."

"Having a V negative type of blood is similar to having AIDS, but much, much worse," Ino commented solemnly.

Shaken, Sakura took a deep breath and read the next question in her list. "Okay. I get it. Next question... How long have vampires been in this world?"

"No one is sure," Kakashi said, "but vampire historians say that, among the first Homo Sapiens on Earth, there were the very first vampires ever."

Her green eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

"Genetic mutations in humans happened even back then, Saks," Ino assured.

"And didn't normal humans-?"

"No," Kakashi interrupted sharply, closing his eye. "Don't call them that, Sakura. They are not _normal humans;_ they're just _humans_. I know I said we vampires were humans, but I just meant we're similar to them, but not the same _at all_. We are vampires, they are humans. Understood?"

"Uh, yes," the girl said, embarrassed. "Sorry."

"It's fine. I just don't want you to call them that in front of other vampires. Some are not as tolerant as I am."

"Alright," she sighed. "Anyways, as I was saying... Didn't humans notice how different vampires were? Like, they were more beautiful, they drank blood instead of eating meat and plants, they had _fangs_ like a lion's... and I'm sure they were so primitive back then that they attacked humans with no mercy, right?"

"That is why humans do know what a vampire is," the white haired man said. "They know a lot about us, even if most of it are lies we created to fool them. And in small towns in Europe, for example, they do know we are real. We learned how to be discreet, but we cannot erase the mistakes of our past."

"Well, I must say you've done a good job making humans believe you're not real. I used to believe that too only a couple days ago."

"But now you're convinced this is all true," he said, smiling.

"Well, yes, I had no other choice. At first I thought it was a really bad joke, but then the fangs and the sudden desire of blood came and... well, it was stupid to try to keep denying something that was more than obvious, no matter how horrifying it was." She was quiet for a moment, and then she sighed and said, "Okay, let's continue." She glanced at her list. "I think we're almost done. I told you there weren't many questions... Alright. How can we have fangs? How can we be smarter and stronger and faster? How can we heal faster than humans? Is it in our blood?"

"No, not in ours," Ino said. "In human and animal blood, actually. They not only keep us alive; they also make us... better; faster, stronger and all that. And we have fangs because that's something we learned to develop in order to survive. We can't pierce a human's or an animal's flesh without sharp fangs."

"And how is it possible that they sharpen when we're hungry but they go back to normal when we're not?"

"They sharpen not only when we're hungry, but when we're furious, too," Kakashi said. "It's an impulse we have when our most primitive instincts are awoken. Making them look human again is something we also learned to develop with time, because sharp fangs scare humans away. It's called evolution."

"For example, humans developed thumbs to be able to grab things and make weapons to hunt their food," Ino said.

"Exactly," Kakashi agreed.

"And what other things did vampires developed?"

"Well, mostly things to attract our preys," Ino said. "I know calling humans 'preys' sounds horrible, but that's the way it is. Vampires need to hunt humans just like humans need to hunt animals. We can hunt animals too, have their blood, but a vampire drinking animal blood is like a human eating plants and fruits, you understand?"

"Yeah," Sakura said, slightly uncomfortable talking about eating humans. "But most of vampires drink animal blood, right? Shizune told me that in those places where they kill cows and other animals, humans keep the meat and vampires keep the blood: a fair trade. After all, animals exist to eat, I believe. I mean, most of them, because they're not very smart and they don't live much time, anyways. But we can't kill humans; it's not... okay."

"You are right," Kakashi said. "Before, it didn't use to be like that, but both humans and vampires have become more civilized, and we've agreed on not hurting any human. However, there are still vampires that do not follow the rules and still feed on humans."

"That's horrible!" Sakura said, frowning.

"Yes. But there is evil everywhere, Sakura. You're not a child; I'm sure you know that."

She nodded, inevitably thinking about Madara Uchiha. She'd managed not to think about him the whole day until now. She didn't want to remember him; he reminded her parents' gory deaths. "Anyways," she said, shaking her head to clear it, "you didn't finish telling me those things vampire can do."

"Oh, right!" her blonde cousin said. "Well, our saliva heals humans' wounds, because, if you bite someone, you heal the wounds to erase any trace of you. Also, we can hypnotize humans, though not all of us can, and not all humans are easy to hypnotize. We turn hotter and prettier when we're hungry to allure our preys... Oh, and we have gifts! Almost all of us have gifts, like telepathy or stuff, because, as you already know, our intelligence is superior."

"Gifts," Sakura repeated, interested. "What are your gifts?"

"Well, I can see the future," Ino said proudly. "But I have to _really_ concentrate, and I can't see images, I can only hear noises or words. And Kakashi can know people's mood by just looking at them."

"That's awesome!" Sakura exclaimed, grinning. "Hey, what is my mood right now, huh?" she asked Kakashi eagerly.

He chuckled. "I can tell you other day. Let's just focus on your questions for today."

"Okay," Sakura sighed, faking a pout. "Anyways, last question: can vampires get sick? Like, even if they are well fed, can they have fever or something?"

"No," Kakashi answered. "Not if their instincts have already awaken."

Sakura frowned confusedly. "But... what if they get AIDS? Or what if they hit their head or something? They can get a head trauma, right?"

He shook his head. "Human diseases do not affect us. We can break bones, of course, but ours are much more stronger than humans, so that would be pretty hard. Also, we heal faster."

"But... but then why is my aunt in coma?"

There was an awkward moment of silence, and then Ino said, with her wide blue eyes filled with pity and concern, "Sakura, I'm sure that's different. I mean, you guys had a car accident, and it was pretty serious. You aunt was hit in the head very hard, I'm sure. We _can_ have head traumas."

"But he said we heal faster!" she exclaimed, desperate. "She should've woken up already, right? This means there's something wrong with her!"

"Well, it depends, Sakura," Kakashi explained calmly. "If your aunt was hungry or perhaps hadn't fed in a while, then she could've been more sensitive. Also, although it's true we heal faster and we are immune to human diseases, we're not invincible."

"We're just humans with a genetic mutation," the half-breed said softly, disappointment clear in her face. "I'm sorry. I... I don't know, I think I'm just desperate to find a reasonable explanation for my aunt's state."

"It's okay," Ino said. "Any other question?"

"No." Sakura stood up. She folded the list and slipped it back into her packet. "Thank you both for this. It means a lot to me."

"My pleasure," Kakashi said, he and Ino rising to their feet as well. He glanced at his watch. "Well, this conversation lasted almost exactly an hour. Your shifts are already over, correct?"

"Yes, we should be going now," Ino said as the three of them headed to the door. "Thank you for doing this for us, Kakashi."

"As I already said, it was my pleasure. I enjoyed talking to someone like you, Sakura."

Although she knew that by 'someone like you' he meant 'a half-breed vampire', she was not offended at all, because he meant it in a nice way. "I enjoyed it, too," she replied, smiling.

They stepped out of the study. Kakashi said goodbye, and the two girls watched him go. When he was out of sight, Ino turned to Sakura and smiled sheepishly. "I have a confession to make: I lied when I said my car was not working on Saturday; it was just an excuse to have my Dad picking us up without making it seem like there was something weird going on. But now my car is totally okay, though still too old-fashioned for my taste. Actually, I'm saving everything I earn from this job to buy a new, hotter one, you know?"

Sakura smirked. "And will you still give me a ride in it?"

"Of course!" The blonde linked her arm with hers. "Now come on, let's go get changed. If I wear this ugly uniform for one more second I think I might go crazy."

* * *

><p><span>Notes<span>: My summer vacations are over so I won't have much time to write and update, but I promise I will try my best. I love this story and I have it all figured out, so I'm not going to stop writting it. Just be patient and give me author's alert or maybe just story's alert if you want. I promise I won't let you down, sexy reader ;) Oh, and one more thing: yes, this IS SasuSaku, and romance is coming veeeeery soon, so wait for it! :D


	21. The lifechanging sentence

**Chapter twenty**

_The life-changing sentence_

Sakura, Ino and TenTen exited the locker room laughing at some joke Ino had made. Their shifts were over. They had already changed into their casual outfits, and were planning on going to their favorite coffee shop to have some warm, comforting drinks and relax there, just like the old times. Sakura realized she missed those good old times when she didn't have to worry about anything but her grades, her friends and her appearance. She would have given anything to go back to those times, but she knew that was impossible. Her life had changed drastically, and things were getting harder, but that was just part of growing up, of maturing, and there was nothing she could do but toughen up and go through it.

They were exiting the kitchen when someone suddenly called Sakura's name. The girl turned around and her stomach sank when she saw it was the Housekeeper calling her. She remembered about the incident earlier that day, about the broken plate, about that torturing, unnatural thirst, and about Sasuke. It was all in the past, but Sakura was still embarrassed.

And now she had to pay the consequences of her clumsiness. It was just a broken plate, probably not that expensive, but still, it wasn't nice to lose money.

"Hello, girls," the Housekeeper greeted them, polite as ever. "I see your shift is over and you are about to leave, but I would like to have a few words with you, Sakura. Would you mind?"

"Um, not at all," Sakura replied, smiling through her uneasiness.

"Is everything okay?" Ino asked, stepping in protectively.

"Yes, do not worry, Ino," the Housekeeper said calmly. "It's just about a small incident that happened. It will only take a few minutes."

"I'll tell you about it later," Sakura told her friends. "Wait for me in that car. I'll be right there."

Ino eyed her suspiciously, but reluctantly left with TenTen. Sakura hated to concern her cousin if it wasn't necessary, but now was not the time to explain everything. Besides, there were a few details that ought to be said to the blonde in private, and those had to wait a bit more.

"Follow me to the entrance hall, Sakura," the Housekeeper said a few moments after the girls were gone. "The kitchen is not a very nice place to have a conversation."

Sakura nodded and let the woman lead her to the entrance hall. Her friends were already gone, so she didn't see them there. She and the Housekeeper sat on the couch, like two old friends about to catch up with their lives after years of not seeing each other. The situation itself was not uncomfortable at all, since the Housekeeper did not seem angry and was actually acting very casual and friendly. However, Sakura was tense because she knew there was more behind breaking that sole plate. She knew what had happened afterwards. She could have killed that maid, or a few other humans, and that made her feel guilty.

"You're not in trouble, child," the Housekeeper said, smiling kindly at her. "It's just about the broken plate. Don't be so nervous."

Sakura sighed, willing herself to calm down. Everything was okay now; there was nothing to worry about. "I know," she said. "Still, I'm very embarrassed. I'm sorry for being so clumsy, ma'am."

"Happens to anyone, especially if you're still young and inexperienced," the woman replied. "Just try to be more careful the next time."

"I don't think there's going to be a next time," Sakura confessed. "I won't work in the kitchen ever again. The two only times I have done it haven't been very nice. It's just too dangerous for a hematophobic to be anywhere near sharp objects_." Actually, for a young half-breed vampire to be anywhere near humans,_ she thought. "Besides, I won't stay here forever. I have other things to do with my life," she added, thinking of the way the vampire society saw half-breeds, of how any other vampire would not hesitate to kill her as soon as they find out what she was, of how she was doomed to hide for the rest of her life.

"Alright," the Housekeeper said, nodding. "I wish you the best of luck with whatever you are planning to do in the future, Sakura. You seem to be a good girl, and very smart."

"Thanks a lot." She smiled genuinely. In spite of her stern appearance, the Housekeeper really was a good person. "Anyway, how much do I have to pay for the broken plate?"

The Housekeeper gave her the quantity and told her she could take her time to pay if she didn't have the money yet. Sakura assured her she would pay it in tomorrow, and the woman accepted the agreement.

The brief conversation was over. Sakura rose to her feet and thanked the woman once again for her kindness. Then, she said goodbye and headed for the door to meet her friends, who waited in the parking lot for her to go out so that they could finally go to the coffee shop and chill for a couple of hours.

Sakura reached out for the door's handle, but her fingers had barely brushed it when the door was abruptly opened from outside. She stepped back, startled, and looked up at the person stepping into the house. Her breath got stuck in her throat immediately. It was Sasuke.

"Oh, sorry," she muttered, stepping back and avoiding eye contact. His presence made her feel self-conscious, as if he had accidently seen her naked and she couldn't forget it. Metaphorically speaking, maybe he _had_ seen her naked. He had seen her as a vampire – a bloodthirsty, panicked vampire, which was more or less the same as being unclothed: both exposed her real self.

"Move, half-breed," he grumbled, snapping her out of thoughts.

Sakura looked up then, and glared. What a rude jerk! In spite of everything that had happened, in spite of the mistakes she had made, and in spite of what she was and what he was, he had no right to be so impolite. It was not okay. She felt offended.

In another situation, she would have spat an insult back or something of the sort. But then again, she didn't have the right to do that, either. Also, perhaps he was just still mad at her for all the trouble she'd caused. Sakura herself was still mad at herself, so why wouldn't he? Besides, it was better if she didn't lower herself to his level.

"Sorry," she repeated, stepping aside. Sasuke didn't even look at her as he brushed past her and headed into the entrance hall.

Sakura turned around and, before she could think twice about it, she called, "Um, Sasuke?" She realized that was the first time she'd ever called him by his name. It felt strange, somehow.

He stopped walking and glanced at her disdainfully over his shoulder. "What?"

"I wanted to apologize for what happened – again. Also, I want you to know that I'm very grateful, even if your intentions weren't exactly the best. Despite everything, you saved me from a very ugly situation."

Sasuke stared at her for a long moment, and then hesitantly turned his full body to her. He sighed deeply, closing his eyes. His shoulders slumped as if he had decided to give up on something. "Yeah, it's fine," he said lowly. "I suppose there's no use on hating you for it all my life. At least nothing bad really happened."

"I promise I'll be way more careful," Sakura said. "I already know what I need to know, so don't worry. Besides, you know I won't stay here for much longer now that I'm, well, not the same I used to be before. I know it'd be too dangerous, for me and for your family."

Sasuke eyed her thoughtfully. She thought he would say something about her leaving, but he didn't. Instead, he said, "You just keep that promise while you work here. I know all this is really hard for you, and it would be unfair to put you under even more pressure." His dark eyes softened, and Sakura was surprised by the way the sudden gentleness of his gaze made her insides feel. She knew he just pitied her, but it was still nice to know he at least cared. She_ wanted_ him to care.

Frightened by the direction her thoughts were taking, she sighed and focused back on the conversation. "Okay. Thanks – again. Um, well… I gotta go. Bye."

Sakura turned around and hurriedly stepped out of the house. She didn't dare to look back at Sasuke – she just closed the door behind her, and ran to Ino's car.

* * *

><p>The next day, Mikoto Uchiha woke up with the realization that it was time for her to have a long, deep conversation with Sakura. She'd wanted to talk to her ever since the girl's instincts awoke, but hadn't seemed to have time. Today, however, she wouldn't be very busy. It was the perfect moment.<p>

Mikoto was a very organized woman. She had every activity in her day scheduled neatly. That morning she did the usual on a free day: she woke up at eight, took a bath, dressed in the day's color (today it was blue), went downstairs, and had breakfast with her husband and her sons. They chatted little, and then each of them took different directions: Sasuke went to his morning lessons, Itachi went to the library to pick up some books, Fugaku headed off to the company, and Mikoto went to her "office" and entertained herself by working on her latest outfit: an orange silk dress perfect for warm evenings.

By ten o'clock, she was done with the dress' sketches, and it was time for Sakura's shift to start. There was a knock on the door, and Harumi, the Lady's maid and Mikoto's personal assistant, poked her head into the room.

"Miss Sakura is here, madam," the young woman said. Mikoto had ordered her to let her know when the girl arrived, so that she could go downstairs and call her to her office personally.

"Very well, thank you," Mikoto said, standing up from her comfortable chair. She walked towards the door the maid was holding open for her, and stepped out of the room. Harumi followed her silently, always like a shadow, a human shadow Mikoto trusted and relied on as much as she was allowed to.

They walked down the stairs and then waited in the entrance hall, where they had a clear view of the stairs Sakura would surely walk to start working. Mikoto sat on the couch, crossed her legs and waited patiently.

Finally, three girls exited the dining room laughing and smiling, carrying with them that beautiful breeze of youth and enthusiasm for life. They were Ino, TenTen and Sakura. TenTen was the first to spot Mikoto when they passed by the entrance hall, and she stopped and smiled widely.

"Oh, good afternoon, madam," she said, bowing respectfully. Mikoto thought she was a very good girl with a lovely attitude that guaranteed a bright future. Maybe the Namizakes had seen that too, and that was why they had decided to adopt her. Truthfully, Mikoto didn't know the story behind that adoption, but she would make sure to ask the werewolves about it when she saw them again.

Ino and Sakura stopped as well, and they offered her the same polite greeting. Mikoto smiled kindly at them and said, "Hello, girls, glad to see you have arrived. You ready for another day?"

"Um, we guess so," Ino said, grinning sheepishly. "It won't be easy, but that money ought to be earned, right?" she laughed.

"That's right." Mikoto rose to her feet and stepped towards them. She examined their young, beautiful faces, and stopped on Sakura's. "Sakura, darling, I would like to have a few words with you," she said softly, gently, so that she wouldn't alarm the girl.

Sakura seemed to understand what it was all about almost instantly. Still, she pretended she didn't. "Is everything alright?" she questioned, her smile turning uneasy.

"Yes. You're not in trouble or anything. I just want to talk to you."

The girl glanced at her friends. TenTen seemed curious; Ino seemed to know what was going on, but she decided not to intervene. Finally, Sakura nodded. "Okay. Right now?"

"Yes, please follow me to my office," Mikoto said and, without further explanation, headed up the stairs, Harumi trailing behind as always.

Sakura hesitated a little before following them. Mikoto heard her say to her friends, "Okay, I'll see you guys on the break," her tone slightly nervous, and then she started walking.

* * *

><p>"I'm really not in trouble, am I?" Sakura asked anxiously. She was sitting on a leather couch in Mikoto's office, the small room where she designed her clothing. Said woman sat on the couch across from her; she was holding a cup of green tea her personal maid had prepared (Sakura knew serving the tea was her job, but it appeared that right now she was off duty).<p>

They were alone. It was a completely private conversation, which intimidated Sakura a little. Mostly, it intrigued her. What was all this about? The plate she broke, perhaps? No, that was an issue too small to be taken this seriously. It had to be something more important. Perhaps Mikoto had heard about yesterday's incident from Sasuke, and now she wanted to scold her or something.

"Of course not," Mikoto answered, smiling lightly before bringing the cup to her lips and taking a brief, delicate sip. Sakura felt jealous of how every single of the woman's movements was so graceful and feminine. She wondered if she would be a little like her when she grew older – _if_ she grew older, because being a half-breed vampire in this world apparently implied living in a constant danger. It was not a secret that, if any other vampire knew about her, they would kill her. The thought was terrifying, but Sakura had already grown used to it – used to fear for her life.

"Then what do you want to talk to me about?"

Mikoto put the cup on its plate and the plate on the coffee table between her and Sakura. She then looked straight into the girl's eyes. Sakura could see her reflection in the vampire's dark gaze: a floating white face framed by light pink hair. She also noticed the resemblance between those eyes and Sasuke's. Mikoto was definitely his mother.

"First of all, I want to know how you're doing," Mikoto said. "Please know that you can trust me. I will listen to you and advice you, even. I want you to know that I support you entirely."

Sakura was moved, but also puzzled. She thought for a moment, and then replied, "Thank you, madam. You are very kind. Frankly, I do desperately need people there for me, supporting me. What I'm going through… it's not pleasant."

"I know," Mikoto nodded. "That's why I'm telling you this. If you need to talk, we'll talk. You can let it out all out, and I will stay here and listen attentively, without judging."

Sakura offered a small, sad smile. "Why are you so nice to me? Are you like this to everyone? I really appreciate it, don't get me wrong. It's just that, well… I'm not very used to people I barely know being so nice to me."

"No, I'm not like this to everyone," the woman replied. "And actually, that's also something I want to talk to you about. I'm nice to you because you mean a lot to me. I do know you, even if you don't know me very well."

The half breed frowned slightly. "You mean you've met me before all this? When I was a little girl, perhaps?"

"Your mother used to be my best friend, Sakura. We knew each other since we were little girls. I was there for her in her hardest moments, just like she was there for me in mines. I was the one she turned to when she found out she was pregnant."

Sakura blinked several times, disbelieving. But Mikoto could not be lying, could she? Why would she? "Are you serious?"

"Yes. I have known you ever since you were in Hikari's womb. Since she was like a sister to me, you're more or less like a niece to me. I haven't been around during most part of your life until now, but I always thought about you, you know? I thought about you as much as I thought of my best friend. I miss her, and you remind me a lot of her. That's why I am so fond of you."

Sakura was baffled, but she still managed to say, "Thank you." It was comforting to know Mikoto cared so much about her. Also, she realized that, now that she knew that Mikoto and Hikari had been very close, she was seeing the dark haired woman with other eyes. Suddenly, Mikoto reminded her of her mother, and therefore, she was starting to appreciate her as more than just a very kind boss.

The woman reached out and grasped her hand tightly, but without hurting her. Her skin was very warm and almost as soft as a baby's. "She would have wanted me to look out for you," she said, her eyes teary. "I haven't been able to do it before, but I think it's more important that I do it right now. Please let me take care of you, Sakura. I feel like you owe it to your mother."

"You don't have to," Sakura said softly. A lump was forming in her throat; this was just too much for her.

"Of course I do." Mikoto let go and straightened her back. "Like you said, you need support. Let me offer it to you."

"But you may get in trouble because of it! I'm a half breed vampire: a being that shouldn't exist. I don't want you to get in trouble because of me. I mean, it's not as if I'm really..."

Mikoto shook her head, cutting her off. "Worth it? Oh honey, of course you are. You're worth that and so much more, not just because you're Hikari's daughter, but because you've such a beautiful soul. Maybe you don't believe it, but I am saying the truth."

Tears were already spilling from Sakura's eyes. The knot of anxiety in her stomach was loosening little by little. She paused a few moments, trying to calm down a bit, and then she looked up at Mikoto and asked in a very small voice, "What was she like? My mom, I mean."

Mikoto was crying too, but there was a sweet smile on her face. "Oh, she was wonderful, sweetie: a wonderful friend, a wonderful daughter, a wonderful sister, and of course, a wonderful mother. She loved you and your father with all her heart. She'd always been too affectionate, ever since she was a child. I remember that she cried for days when her pets died. I used to think she was just too dramatic, but in reality, she just had a very sensible soul, and that made her beautiful."

Sakura smiled through her tears, recalling the face of that pretty blonde, smiling woman in the picture she kept in her diary. "And my dad?" she asked. "Did you know him too?"

"Not as well as I knew Hikari, but well enough. You remind me a little of him, too. He was a very kind and smart man, always reading books or making people laugh. His personality made him shine like a sun. Hikari fell in love with him as soon as she saw him, or so she told me. It was love at first sight. He loved her and you very much. You cannot imagine how hard he fought for you, to make you happy. You and your mother were his whole world."

Sakura covered her face with her hands and sobbed, unable to keep it together for a second longer. Behind her closed eyelids, vague images of her parents' faces came into focus: the beautiful woman with the golden hair, and the brunette man with eyes as green as her own. Sakura loved them, even if they had been absent for most part of her life, even if she didn't remember them very well, even if they were practically complete strangers to her. She loved them, and missed them, so deeply that her heart ached as if a large hand were squeezing it furiously.

But behind that vast emptiness in her chest, there was also a small but fierce flame of hatred burning. She loved them, but hated them a little at the same time. She hated them for leaving her, for letting her exist, and for not being able to come back to her side. She wished they would. She needed them more than ever.

Mikoto took her hand again, and her touch brought her back to reality. "Sakura," she said, "I know this has been very hard to accept. I'm very sorry you have to go through all this, but things are just the way they are. No one chose this, especially not you."

"My parents did," Sakura sobbed. "They chose to let me be born. They _wanted_ me to be born, even though they sure as hell knew I would just come to this world to suffer, because I'm not normal – not a normal human, not a normal vampire. Still, they had me. Maybe they just wanted a baby to play with. Maybe they were just two stupid, selfish brats."

The woman shook her head fiercely. "No, don't say that. They were very smart, and they were not selfish. They loved you. They were very good people, Sakura."

"Then why did they do it? Why did they have me? I wasn't supposed to be born!" She bit her lip, fighting the urge to scream her rage out.

Mikoto let go, took a deep breath and stared sadly at her lap. "No one knows," she said softly. "I'm sorry." She looked back up. Anguish was still clear in her eyes, but now it was mixed with strong determination. "Please, don't lose hope, Sakura. You have so much support. You have enemies, yes, but care only about the people on your side. You are lucky despite everything else."

The girl chuckled humorlessly. "Lucky? I'm everything but that."

"Just be strong, darling," Mikoto went on. "Life goes on no matter what. Always remember _who_ you are, not _what_ you are, even if others do not."

That last sentence touched something in the bottom of Sakura's heart. She had no idea it would stick to the back of her mind for a very long time, and change her life from then on.

Mikoto stood up, wiping her tears with a white handkerchief. Sakura stood up as well. "Well," the woman said in a more casual tone. "I've already taken enough of your time. You must get back to work."

Sakura nodded. Wordlessly, she followed the dark haired vampire to the door. Before stepping out of the room, she said, "Thank you, Mrs. Uchiha. For everything you did, do and will do for me. I… I hope I can pay you back for it someday."

Mikoto smiled. "Don't worry about, honey. The best thing you can do for me is to not give up. Make your parents proud."

Biting her lip tightly, Sakura nodded again and left.

* * *

><p><span>Notes<span>: Okay, it's been almost a year since I last updated. I am truly sorry. I've been busy having a life. Many things have happened and, well, I kind of forgot about this story, which is indeed terrible, since I enjoy writing it very much. Actually, I enjoy it so much that I promise I'm going to keep writing until spring break is over, and maybe even after that. Please be patient in case I break this promise. I swear this story will be finished someday.

Anyway, I love you, reader. Please don't forget that. :')


	22. The stare

**Chapter twenty one**

_The stare_

Sasuke didn't want to get off his bed on Wednesday morning. He was dreading the start of the day, because he knew it would be one of the most boring and, therefore, longest days of his life. Any day that he had to spend with Hinata Hyuga, his forced fiancée, was unpleasant, in fact.

He didn't hate the girl. He actually liked her, but just as a friend. He'd known her ever since they were kids, and he knew her well enough to know about her hobbies, her deepest fears, her most embarrassing moments, and all those things you know about childhood friends that have always been there for you when you need them, and vice versa. She was a sweet girl, perhaps too passive and obedient, but she was smart, she liked to read, and best of all, she was peaceful. Sasuke liked that kind of people; he trusted them and felt comfortable around them.

But not because he considered her a good friend, it meant he wanted to marry her.

Sasuke was very selective when it came to women. He wasn't completely inexperienced in the field, but he wasn't an expert, either. He'd never had a serious relationship in his life, and most of the girls he'd dated had either only been interested on his looks or his money, or daughters of people his parents wanted to have better relationships with. To be honest, in his eighteen years of life, he'd never really liked a girl – he'd never had a crush on anyone. Naruto said it was weird, and he made fun of it constantly, but Sasuke didn't care. In fact, he was happy to have no idea what love truly was; it seemed to be a very painful thing.

However, it didn't matter if Sasuke loved Hinata, or anyone else, or not. He was the son of the leader of the Uchiha vampire clan, and although he wasn't the oldest and, therefore, not the heir, he was also obliged to marry someone from another strong clan in order to strengthen the bond between the two clans. The adults had the wedding planned ever since he and Hinata were babies. It was all prepared.

Of course, neither him or Itachi – whose forced wedding was only a few months away – were happy with not being able to choose their wives, but this was the way powerful vampire clans had always worked, and they could do nothing to change it. Even their parents' wedding had been planned, although they were lucky enough to fall in love by free will. All Sasuke could do was resign himself to a life beside a woman he didn't love.

And today, he had to spend time with said woman. They had to spend a whole day together at least once a month before they got married. Last month, Sasuke had gone to Hinata's house; this time, it was her turn to come to him. It was a bothersome duty, and he knew Hinata didn't like to do it either, but none of them were allowed to protest.

The only good thing about those days with Hinata was that her cousin, Neji, came with her. Neji was a good friend of the Uchiha brothers, and his coming meant Shikamaru, the son of the main wizard clan and also their friend, was also coming, and if they were coming, Naruto would sure tag along. The friends would reunite, and that would make Sasuke's day with Hinata a bit easier. Still, that didn't mean he was looking forward to it.

Eventually, Sasuke realized that if he didn't want to get into trouble, he had to get off the bed and get ready to meet his _fiancée_ (he hated that word). Reluctantly, he pushed the covers off him and stood up. He dragged himself to the bathroom, took a quick, cold shower that instantly erased every trace of tiredness, and put on semi-formal clothes. He styled his hair, took one last glance at the mirror to make sure he looked presentable, and then, still in a bad mood, he headed down the stairs.

His family and Hinata's were supposed to have breakfast together, so Sasuke went straight to the dining room. However, he paused at the entrance hall, where he found Naruto and Shikamaru arguing about food.

"Sasuke!" someone behind him suddenly exclaimed. He turned and saw her mother standing in the doorway, wide-eyed. She was wearing a dark blue dress and had her hair tied into a high bun. "Where have you been? We're about to start eating."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Fine, sorry, I'm going," he grumbled, standing up, and turned towards the dining room.

"No, silly, where are you going?" Mikoto stopped him, grabbing him by the elbow. "We're having breakfast outside. It's such a beautiful day. Come over here."

Sasuke let his mother drag him to the backyard, where the two families sat at a large glass table, facing the garden Mikoto took so much care of. It was a beautiful day, indeed. There was not a single cloud hovering above in the blue sky, and the sun shone cheerfully, almost annoyingly. Sasuke squinted under the sunlight. Although it was false that vampires were more affected by the sun than humans, he had always been more sensible to it. It was something in his genes, he supposed.

"Oh, Sasuke!" Mr. Hyuga exclaimed when he spotted him, smiling politely. "Good to see you're finally joining us."

"I'm sorry, I overslept," he said as he sat on the only empty chair, the one between Itachi and, of course, Hinata, who looked very uncomfortable. Clearly, she didn't like the situation any more than he did. Sasuke met her gaze and offered her a quick, reassuring smile. She smiled back, forcefully.

"Well, why don't we begin now that everyone is here?" Fugaku asked, motioning the two maids waiting by the door leading back into the house to start bringing the food. "I'm starving!"

The food arrived and everyone started eating. The parents chatted among them, while Itachi, Hanabi (Hinata's younger sister), Sasuke and Hinata just sat there, pretended to eat, and paid attention only when their names where mentioned. It was a tedious situation for the youngest, only a pretentious ceremony they were forced to go through that they were eager to see finished.

Finally, after they all enjoyed a glass of red wine secretly mixed with blood, the adults decided it was time to go back into the house. Sasuke was the first to stand, desperate to get away from all that crap. However, he didn't – couldn't – forget about the formalities. He had to wait for Hinata, walk by her side like a good _fiancée_, and be a total hypocrite just to please their parents. Hinata knew all of this, and she cooperated with him by letting him pull the chair back for her and taking the arm he offered her. They were just two people trying their best to do the right thing, no matter how much they despised it; two friends doomed to spend the rest of their lives as a couple.

"Oh, look at them, Fugaku!" Mr. Hyuga said as the two families entered the house. He patted Sasuke's father on the back and smiled proudly at the young soon-to-be couple. "Won't our grandchildren be lovely?"

Everyone laughed. Even Sasuke and Hinata pretended to find the comment funny. Everyone, except Itachi, laughed. Itachi hated to pretend, and that was probably why his fiancée's family didn't like him very much. He was too proud and brave to be a hypocrite, even if he had to. Sasuke envied his courage.

The brothers exchanged a look. Many times before, they had talked about their inconformity with their situations. Of course, that was all they had ever done: talk about it. Not even Itachi dared to rebel against their society's rules and costumes. Wishing and complaining was all they could do, and they felt sorry for themselves because of that. Who wouldn't?

Sasuke looked away, unable to hold his brother's intense gaze any longer. Accidentally, his eyes fixed on something over his father's shoulder: a pink haired maid that stood with a tray on her hands, watching them – watching _him_.

Everything around him seemed to zoom out of focus for a moment, everything but her: the half-breed. For that moment, she was the only thing he paid attention to. He observed her from afar, analyzed the way the maid uniform fitted around her petite body, the way she styled her dyed hair into a low bun, and the vibrant green of her big eyes. She didn't look away from him at any second. Perhaps she was analyzing him too.

"Sasuke?" Hinata murmured beside him, causing him to break the stare. He looked down at her questioningly. She was holding his arm a little tighter. She jerked her chin towards the people that stood in front of them, alarm clear in her gray eyes.

Sasuke turned to his parents and Hinata's. He smiled innocently. "I'm sorry, I'm still kind of sleepy. What did you say?"

"I asked you if you would like to take my daughter out," Mr. Hyuga replied patiently, "or if you're planning on keeping her here all day." He smiled casually, but something in his eyes told Sasuke he wanted him to choose the first option.

"I think I might take her to the fair. It'd be a nice experience."

"Excellent idea!" the man exclaimed, satisfied.

"Let's go right now," Hinata said to Sasuke, pretending to be excited about it.

Sasuke nodded and pretended he was happy to take her. He then looked over his father's shoulder again, expecting to see the half-breed still there, but she wasn't. She was gone.

* * *

><p>In the kitchen, Sakura put the tray on the bar, brought her hands to her temples and started massaging. The coldness of her fingertips fought the hotness of her head, which was aching from lack of sleep. Last night she'd had a nightmare, but it hadn't been like the others. There had been blood, yes, but because she'd dreamed of the night her parents were murdered. The memory had replayed in her sleeping brain, torturing her soul and twisting her thoughts. She'd woken up twice to take deep, calming breaths and slow her pulse down, but every time she went back to sleep, the nightmare came back. She'd even dared to drink some blood, hoping that would ease her disturbed mind a bit more. It had, and she'd told herself to feed more often, since it seemed to be good for her even if she wasn't thirsty.<p>

As if being tired and still strung out from the terror of her nightmare weren't enough, she now had to deal with the unwanted tornado of emotions in the pit of her stomach that the scene she'd just witnessed was causing. She hated to feel like that, so troubled and confused and _sad_. Actually, she hated to feel at all. She wished she could stay numb to everything forever. Dealing with her crappy life would be easier that way.

Sasuke had seen her. They had _stared_ at each other. Sakura had been completely paralyzed, as if turned into stone by his dark gaze. And a pretty, dark-haired girl with porcelain skin had been holding on to his arm, laughing happily, comfortable by his side: his girlfriend, with no doubt. She had no idea he had one, but it seemed like he did – and Sakura cared more than she had to.

Sakura knew she was supposed to give a damn about Sasuke and his girlfriend. Besides, why would she? He meant nothing to her. She didn't even like him very much; he was rude, grumpy and arrogant, the kind of guys she couldn't stand. Yesterday he'd been kind of friendly to her before she left, which had seemed out-of-character but still been nice. She'd been happy to know he didn't completely hate her. It was never pleasant to have enemies, after all.

But she couldn't deny she'd also been happy he cared about her. His caring even the slightest bit made her feel special and successful, as if she'd won an award and now the whole city admired and loved her. He could give her that kind of power, which was senseless, stupid, utterly ridicule. Sakura could not come up with a logical explanation for it. How could that guy – the one she'd first met in her dreams, the one that had saved her from becoming a crazy beast, the one whose beautiful eyes turned even more beautiful when they softened – already matter to her that much?

Perhaps she was starting to like him and was jealous of his girlfriend.

She shook her head at that thought. It was possible, yes, but she refused to accept it. It just could _not_ happen. Sakura couldn't like Sasuke Uchiha. Okay, let's face it: he _was_ likeable if you pushed aside his horrible personality and his usual impoliteness, because – yes, she admitted it: he _was _handsome; he was like the young male version of Mrs. Uchiha, a very gorgeous woman, with broad shoulders and a defined jaw. But it was forbidden to like him. She didn't allow herself to fall for a jerk like him, not only because she knew he would hurt her feelings, or because she knew he would never like her back, but because he was a full vampire and Sakura was a half-breed vampire, which meant that, even if they wanted to be together with all their hearts, they weren't permitted to.

Sasuke was unreachable, and no matter how empty it made her chest feel, she had to get that straight before her stupid, delusional heart made a huge mistake.

"Newbie?" a maid said, coming up from behind her. "Did you clean the table already?"

Sakura took a deep breath and forced herself to focus back on reality. "No, I'll be right there," she said quickly, taking the tray and hurrying out of the kitchen once again.

She was very glad to see everyone was already gone. She didn't want to witness any more happy scenes. They made her want to puke. She walked quickly to the backyard and started picking up the dishes they had left on the table and putting them on her tray. She tried to keep her mind blank, but images of Sasuke with his beautiful fiancée kept flashing around her head, annoying her.

When she was done, she carried the now heavy tray back into the house, walking very slowly so that the dishes wouldn't fall to the ground and break. As she turned to step into the entrance hall, a room she had to go through in order to get to the kitchen, she accidentally bumped into someone. The tray swayed lightly, and a glass slipped off, heading towards the floor.

"Oh shit!" Sakura hissed, watching the glass with wide eyes. She thought that now she would have to pay that too. Why was she being so clumsy lately? She would be fired if she kept on like this. She was going to quit eventually, but not now. She still needed the job.

Suddenly, a hand snatched the glass away as it was about to hit the carpeted floor. It moved so quickly it was just a blur of skin. Amazed and relieved, Sakura looked up to the person who did it. It was the same person she'd bumped into: a boy with tanned skin, spiky blond hair and bright blue eyes.

"Hey," she said, narrowing her eyes. "I know you. You're… TenTen's adoptive brother, right?"

He was grinning so widely she wondered if his cheeks hurt. "Yup, that's right. Name's Naruto. You're Sakura, right?"

"Yeah," she replied, glad he remembered her name. "What are you doing here? Are you staying here all week?"

"Yeah, I guess so. I don't have anything better to do, since we're on summer vacations. Why? Are you sad to have to see me every day?""

Sakura laughed. "No, I'm fine with it. Um, thanks for saving that glass, by the way. I'm very sorry. I wasn't paying enough attention."

He put the glass back on the tray. "Oh, don't worry. It was my fault."

"No, really, it was mine."

Naruto laughed. "C'mon, I hate it when people do that. We're actually both guilty."

"I agree with that." Sakura smiled at him. He seemed a very nice guy. "Uh, I have to go now. Thanks, again."

"No problem, Sakura," he replied, and as she started to walk away, he suddenly added, "Hey, how have you been feeling?"

Sakura frowned confusedly. "Good. Why are you asking?" Briefly, she wondered if he knew what she was. He couldn't – he _shouldn't_. It was supposed to be a secret.

But what if he did? He was Sasuke's best friend; maybe he'd told him. Still, Sasuke wasn't supposed to speak about it with anyone, especially not with humans… because Naruto was definitely not a vampire; he didn't seem like one. Or was he?

Suddenly, Naruto seemed uncomfortable. He stepped closer, looked around to make sure there was no one around to hear them, and lowered his voice. "Listen, I know what you are," he said sheepishly. Sakura's eyes widened. "Yeah, sorry, I know you didn't expect it. I've known it since the beginning; I was there helping Sasuke and Itachi and Ino. But don't worry, okay? I've also sworn to keep my mouth shut. I really don't want you to get found out. You seem very cool and everything. So please trust me, alright? I know we're complete strangers, but really, I mean you no harm."

Sakura was quiet for several moments, astound. She eyed him with disbelief, and then finally, when she realized he was completely serious, she blinked and hissed, "What are you, exactly? I mean, you don't seem like a vampire. They're more, like, pale and sophisticated and mysterious, you know? You seem too human. I seriously thought you were human – no offense, in case you consider that an insult."

Naruto smiled, relaxing visibly. "Don't worry, it's not an insult. I'm a werewolf."

Sakura gasped. "Werewolves exist too?" She said it too loudly, and it startled her. Quickly, she shut her mouth and looked around wildly, afraid she'd been heard. Luckily, they were still completely alone in the entrance hall. There was noise and activity in the kitchen, but the maids were too busy and too far from them to hear them.

Naruto seemed shocked. "You didn't know? Damn! Ino is not doing this right. She was supposed to tell you about everything else, not only about vamps!"

"Shhh!" Sakura said. "Don't be too loud."

"Sorry. I just – I have to talk to her. This has to be fixed. I mean, how could you not know about us? It's the basics!"

Sakura made a face. "I just can't believe it. What else exists? Mermaids? Fairies? Wizards? _Santa Claus_?"

"Well, I don't know about mermaids and fairies, and Santa definitely doesn't exist, but wizards do, actually."

Her eyes widened again. "What! Okay, this is getting crazy. Too many revelations for me in one single day… But really, how is that possible!" She shook her head, suddenly angry. "Dammit, I have too many questions again. I thought all my doubts had been cleared. Now I have to find out about other species too!"

"I could tell you all about it," Naruto offered, smiling as if he'd just had a very good idea. "I don't have much to do now that Sasuke is not here so, if you're not too busy, we could go talk to the study."

Sakura thought for a moment. "Well, I have to clean the study, so I have to go there anyway…"

"I can tell you everything while you clean!" he exclaimed excitedly.

She was not very sure about this. But Naruto seemed eager to clear her doubts, and she did want him to do it. Besides, cleaning would be less boring if she talked with someone. What could she lose?

So she agreed. Naruto beamed like a sun. Before he could add anything else, she told him to wait for her in the study, and then she went to the kitchen to leave the heavy tray she was still carrying.

* * *

><p><span>Notes<span>: I'm writing so much, omfg. It's because my mom won't let me out. She's got me all caged up like a freaking bird. I hate this so much. I want this week and this spring break to be over soon. I feel so desperate. But at least I'm writing. At least I'm doing that one productive thing. Ugh.


	23. The misery

**Chapter twenty two**

_The misery_

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Miss Ino Yamanaka. What a lovely surprise."

Ino rolled her eyes instantly. She didn't have to turn around to know Shikamaru Nara, the next leader of the most important wizard clan in the country and also the most exasperating person she'd ever met, was standing behind her. The question was: what was he doing here?

She gave the last touches to the bed she was making and then slowly turned around to face the wizard. "To be honest, it's not good to see you again, but I'll say it anyway because it's the right thing to do: Hello, Shikamaru, good to see you again! How have you been? Not that I care, but I'm just being polite, remember?"

"I missed your sarcasm." He smirked and leaned against the door frame. His movements were lazy and relaxed, as they had always been, but Ino couldn't help to notice he was very different from the last time she'd seen him, almost two years ago. He was taller and more muscular, and his features had lost any trace of childishness. He was a man now – a handsome one, actually. But Ino had seen even better looking guys before, so there was nothing to be surprised about, really. Besides, even if he were the hottest man alive, she would always pay attention to his annoying attitude, not to his looks.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest and eyeing him carefully. "Frankly, I never expected you to show up here."

Shikamaru shrugged. "The Hyugas came because of that whole arranged-marriage-between-Sasuke-and-Hinata issue. I was hanging out with Neji for the week, so I decided I would tag along, since I honestly don't have anything better to do."

"Awesome," Ino commented sarcastically. She turned around, took the folded blankets she'd left on the dressing table, and headed to the door. "Excuse me," she told Shikamaru, who was blocking her path.

"I couldn't believe it was true at first," he commented as he stepped aside.

"What? That I'm a maid?" she asked as she walked to the next guest room she had to tidy.

"Yeah," he replied, following her. "But it seems like it is. Now I owe Naruto some money."

"Did he tell you why I'm doing it?" she asked tensely, thinking, _If that moron spat all about Sakura out, I am going to kill him, and I don't give a fuck if that causes a war between vampires and werewolves. _

"You want to know how it feels like to be poor or something," the wizard answered as they stepped into the room. "But I think that's bullshit. I think your parents are actually forcing you to do this, and you're too embarrassed to admit it."

"Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner!" Ino put the blankets on the bed and turned to Shikamaru, smirking. "But none of it is your business, honey, so why don't you just leave and let me do my job?"

Shikamaru snorted. "Alright, I'll be leaving. See you around, maid. Oh, and I'd like you to serve me some tea when you're done."

Ino frowned angrily. "I'm a chamber maid, moron, not a parlor maid," she said, but Shikamaru was already gone. He'd evaporated into thin air in a blink of an eye, as he usually did to show off his magic. "Stupid wizard," Ino muttered, and then she continued working.

* * *

><p>Shikamaru reappeared in the study, startling Naruto.<p>

"Oh shit!" the werewolf exclaimed, pressing a hand against his chest. "Dammit, dude, I hate it when you do that! It's not necessary, you know? We all get you're a super awesome wizard and blah, blah, blah, so stop scaring the crap out of us, please."

"Sorry," Shikamaru said flatly, slumping on the couch across the chair Neji Hyuga sat too focused on the book resting on his lap to pay attention to what was going on around him. "What are you reading, Neji?"

The gray-eyed vampire looked up, pulled back to reality. "It's just a book I found on this chair when I got here," he explained casually. "It's about half-breed vampires, apparently."

From the corner of his eye, Shikamaru saw Naruto's lean body tense at what Neji had said. Faintly, he wondered what the blond found so alarming in that. Did the subject of the book scandalize him? Shikamaru knew half-breed vampires were a taboo in their society, but why would a werewolf care?

"Hey, guys," Naruto said then. His voice was calm and even, contrary to the rigidness of his muscles. "You have to go. A maid will come clean this room, and it is better if you go somewhere else and then come back when she's done."

"Why do you say _you_ and not _we_?" Shikamaru observed. "Are you staying or what?"

Naruto gulped nervously. Now it was more than clear that he was hiding something, and the wizard couldn't help but feel intrigued. "No. But I'm telling _you_ this, since _I_ already know. Besides, wherever you go, I'm not going with you."

"How come?" Neji said, frowning at the werewolf. It seemed like he'd also noticed something was off.

Naruto smiled then, suddenly relaxing his whole body. He started walking towards the small bathroom in the corner. "Well, unless you're going to the bathroom too. I had pumpkin for breakfast, and that didn't do my stomach any good, you know?"

"No more information about that, please," Neji said, smirking as he closed the book, put it aside and stood up. Shikamaru stood up as well, and together, the two of them exited the room.

As they were walking down the corridor, towards the stairs, a maid was walking in the opposite direction, towards the study. Shikamaru made brief eye contact with her. She had big green eyes, ivory skin and hair dyed a very unusual color: pink. She was pretty in an exotic, original way, and a bit younger than all the other maids he'd seen, except for Ino. Actually, she seemed to be Ino's age. He wondered if they knew each other.

But her looks weren't what caught his attention so much. It was the aura around her. Wizards could see people's auras as easily as werewolves could identify smells. That maid's aura had something peculiar, something Shikamaru had never seen before in anyone he'd ever met.

The girl looked away awkwardly and kept on walking. Once she was out of earshot, Shikamaru asked Neji, "Did you see that maid?"

Neji replied instantly. "There is something off about her, isn't there?"

"Yes. How do you know?"

"I don't need to see her aura to know. I _sense_ she is different."

"Perhaps she's just a very unusual human," Shikamaru said. He was sure she was not a vampire or a werewolf or any other creature, and he could not come up with any other possibility.

"Perhaps," Neji agreed as they walked down the stairs.

After that, they changed the subject and pretended to forget about the pink haired maid, but both of them kept the doubt in the back of their minds for the rest of the day.

* * *

><p>Ino was finished tidying the guest rooms, and she decided it was time for a break. Their official break at midday was half an hour away, but there was nothing else she had to do, so she couldn't see why taking some extra time to rest would be so wrong.<p>

Careful to not be seen by any other maid, because she knew that if one of them saw her doing nothing they would give her more chores to keep her busy, Ino went to the second floor. She knew Sakura would be in one of the rooms there, doing her job, and Ino wanted to brag a little about her free time. Also, she wanted to know how her cousin was doing. She seemed to be adapting little by little to this whole situation, acting very mature and keeping calm despite the horror of the case, but Ino knew that deep inside, the girl was breaking down. In her place, who wouldn't? Ino wished she could do something to help, but she didn't know what. All she could do was show Sakura she cared.

She went to the study first, since it was the room closer to the stairs. The door was closed, but with her sharp hearing, Ino could hear people talking inside. As she stepped nearer, the voices got clearer, and she recognized them instantly: Sakura and Naruto. But what were they doing there together? What were they talking about? Curious, she opened the door as soundlessly as she could and peeked inside.

Indeed, Sakura and Naruto were there. Sakura was cleaning the bookshelf with a feather duster, but her head was turned to the werewolf, who was sprawled on the couch and saying, "So, basically, werewolves are the same as vampires. We're both humans with genetic mutations. Werewolves' genes are a mix between human and animal. I'm not sure how that happened, though I'm sure it wasn't because some sick guy banged a wolf." He laughed out loud, and Ino stifled a giggle. "I think it was a scientific experiment gone wrong or something. Therefore, the only difference is that our mutation was provoked and yours is natural – and I'm very glad to see you've decided to join us, Ino, please come on in."

Ino rolled her eyes and stepped fully into the room. "Stupid werewolf with great hearing," she muttered, closing the door behind her. She looked at Sakura, who had stopped cleaning and looked surprised to see her. "What are you guys doing here?"

"I'm just telling Sakura about werewolves and wizards because it seems like _someone_ forgot to tell her that vampires weren't the only non-human creatures in this world," Naruto said. "And yes, by _someone_ I mean you, princess."

"Don't call me that," Ino scowled. "And I'm sorry, alright? I was totally planning on telling her, but I had to tell her first about her kind and _then_ I would explain further. I know what I'm doing, Naruto, so stop bitching about it."

Naruto opened his mouth to reply, but Sakura cut him off. "Why didn't you tell me he knew about me too, Ino?" Her voice was suddenly so cold and stiff that it caught both Ino and Naruto off guard. They looked at each other for a moment, and then Ino parted her lips to speak. However, Sakura interrupted again. "I mean, it's not that I'm angry about that. I barely know the guy, but he seems nice enough. I do trust him. But you should have told me he knew too. It's a really big secret. So, if there's anyone else that knows, please tell me."

Ino sighed. "It's only me, my parents, the Uchihas, Naruto, Shizune, you, of course… and no one else. I'm really sorry I didn't tell you this before. I promise I won't keep anything from you from now on."

"Okay," Sakura said leaning against the bookshelf. She looked at Naruto, smiled lightly, and said, "So, um, what about wizards?"

Ino took a seat on the individual couch and listened to Naruto explain how wizards were humans with extremely sensible minds that could absorb the energies always floating around in the air, which they turned into magic once they made contact with their souls. She stopped listening after a while, when so many questions and answers started to bore her, and she looked around for something to entertain herself with. She spotted a book on the coffee table, and its red leather cover caught her attention. She took it and started to leaf through it. It was about half-breed vampires, and it amazed her. Could it be that the Uchihas were so interested on Sakura that they wanted to learn more about her?

A few minutes later, when Ino was very concentrated on a chapter in the book about popular half-breed vampires in history and Naruto was still happily answering Sakura's questions, someone opened the door. Ino looked up, afraid it would be a maid looking for her or something like that, but then she realized she hadn't heard the person coming. Even if she wasn't really paying attention, Ino could always hear a human coming because their movements were usually heavy and loud. It had to be someone more agile and stealthy: a vampire.

Certainly, a second later Sasuke stepped into the room, followed by his fiancée, Hinata Hyuga, Ino's childhood friend.

"Ino!" Hinata exclaimed excitedly when she spotted her, smiling in a way that lighted her face up.

Before she realized, Ino was on her feet and running towards her old friend. She threw her arms around her and hugged her tightly. "Ohmigosh! It's been so long!"

"Actually, it's only been a few months, but still, too long!" Hinata laughed.

Ino stepped back a little to take a good look of her. "You're so tall! And, holy shit, where did you get that blouse? I totally love it!"

Ino and Hinata started chatting enthusiastically, like two good friends always did when they hadn't seen each other in months. They forgot about everything, completely ignoring what was happening around them: Sasuke and Naruto bickered about some random issue and Sakura cleaned the bookshelf, awkwardly pretending she was nothing but a stranger to them.

It took Ino a couple of minutes to realize she was leaving Sakura out. She cursed herself for being so careless. The girl was acting like a simple maid, when she was more than that. She was part of them too.

"Um, Hinata," Ino interrupted her friend softly. "Can we pause for a moment? There's someone I want to introduce you to."

"Really?" Hinata smiled, eager to meet someone new. "Who?"

Ino turned to Sakura and called, "Hey, Saks, come over here."

Sakura froze. After a long moment, she slowly turned around and looked at Ino questioningly, as if she couldn't believe what she was saying. Ino smiled at her reassuringly. Hesitantly, the half-breed put the feather duster aside and sheepishly walked towards her.

"This is Sakura," Ino said to Hinata. "She's my best friend. We went to school together."

"Oh, wow!" Hinata said happily. She offered her hand to Sakura, who shook it uncomfortably. "It's very nice to meet you, Sakura! I'm Hinata Hyuga. Ino and I used to be really close when we were little. We had the best tea parties in the world," she giggled.

"Um, hi, nice to meet you too," Sakura said, blushing slightly. Ino couldn't understand why she was being so shy. She _was_ kind of shy, but not this much. Perhaps Hinata intimidated her – but how? Hinata was the nicest girl ever. Maybe so much kindness seemed scary to some.

"Your hair is really pretty!" Hinata exclaimed, reaching out to touch one of Sakura´s pink locks.

"Uh, thanks. It's dyed. I'm actually blonde."

"Oh, it looks really cool!" She turned to Ino. "What do you think, Ino? How would I look with pink hair?"

"Don't be a copycat, Hinata!" Ino laughed.

"I'm just kidding, silly. My parents would never let me dye my hair." The Hyuga smiled as she said that, but her eyes were hard and cold. It reminded Ino that Hinata had always hated being so controlled by her family. She needed to talk to her about it, know how she'd been doing.

The door opened again. Shikamaru and Neji, Hinata's cousin, walked in, carrying a chess set. Ino was about to greet them sarcastically, but then she realized they weren't paying attention to her: they were looking at Sakura in a weird way, as if they couldn't understand what she was doing there.

"Hi, guys," Ino said, trying to sound totally casual. They looked at her as if they hadn't noticed she was there too. "What is this? A meeting of all my childhood friends?"

"Seems like it," Neji said, smirking lightly. Then, his eyes darted towards Sakura again, who was playing with the hem of her apron, clearly distressed.

Ino remained calm. "This is Sakura, my best friend," she introduced, putting a protective hand on the girl's back. She noticed Sasuke and Naruto had stopped arguing, and she felt their eyes on her, watching the scene develop with discreet interest. "We went to school together, and she's so cool she decided to join me in this job so that I wouldn't be alone. Saks, these are Shikamaru and Neji."

"Nice to meet you, I'm Shikamaru," the wizard said, smiling politely. Neji smiled as well, though a bit stiffly. Sakura seemed too uneasy to speak; she just nodded and forced a smile back.

"Is it true your parents forced you to work here?" Neji asked Ino. It was clear he suspected, and she didn't blame him for it. It _was_ a pretty lame excuse, after all, but at least it was more believable than any other.

"Yeah," she replied, rolling her eyes in annoyance. "My parents say I have to learn to be more humble and independent. It's a total torture. Besides, I don't need that. I don't need to know what it feels like to be poor, because, let's face it, I'll never be poor. My fortune is eternal, and that's just the truth. So this is useless, really. But they don't listen to me. They say I'm becoming a spoiled child – can you believe that?"

"Oh, I really can't," Shikamaru said, obviously mocking her.

Ino was about to insult back when suddenly, Sakura said, "Um, I have to go. It was really nice to meet you all, but there's more I need to do."

"Okay," Ino said. "I'll see you later."

"Goodbye, Sakura, see you around!" Hinata said as the girl waved goodbye at everyone and then hurried out of the room.

When the half-breed was gone, Shikamaru turned to Ino and said, "She seems really nice."

"She is," the blonde replied. "She's kind of shy sometimes, but when you get to know her, you'll see she's a very good person, more than you can imagine."

* * *

><p>It was midday: lunch time, finally. Sakura sat with TenTen at their usual table in the backyard. The sun glared down at the garden beyond them, making the grass and the plants look cheerfully alive. Sakura enjoyed the view as she munched on her sandwich, which TenTen had taken the time to prepare for her a few minutes ago. Apparently, the brunette had had some free time, just like Ino. Sakura felt jealous; she'd been very busy the whole morning, perhaps because her talk with Naruto had stolen some of her time. But it had been worth it: she'd learned a lot about werewolves and wizards.<p>

She still couldn't really grasp the fact that those creatures existed as well. It all seemed so unrealistic, fictitious and senseless! Sakura couldn't stop thinking that maybe this was all just a joke, or a really weird dream. But there was no point on denying it. It was all true, whether she trusted or not.

It was also kind of funny. Her whole life, she'd believed vampires, wizards and werewolves were only in the movies and the books, that they were monsters she wasn't supposed to be scared of because they were imaginary and therefore, could not hurt her. And now that she knew the truth, she had all the reason to be terrified – but she wasn't. Why would she, if she was a monster herself?

"Where's Ino?" TenTen asked suddenly. "Isn't she going to lunch with us?"

Sakura shrugged and took a bite of her food. "Maybe she already had lunch," she replied with her mouth full.

"That's mean. She should have come join us, even if she already ate."

In that moment, as if they had invoked her, Ino came running out of the mansion – followed by a smiling Hinata, who carried a pink picnic basket.

Ino pulled a chair back and sat, smiling widely. "Sorry I'm late, guys," she said. "I totally got distracted." She turned to Hinata, who was sitting on the chair beside her and putting the basket on the table. "This is Sasuke's, um, girlfriend and also my childhood best friend, Hinata Hyuga. Sakura, you already know her, but TenTen doesn't, right?"

"No, but it's nice to meet you," the brunette said, smiling friendly at the Hyuga.

"Nice to meet you too!" Hinata exclaimed. She opened her basket and started pulling out things. "I brought this for you, girls. It's sushi from my favorite restaurant. I know you're already eating, but if there's some space in your tummies for this, it'd be great."

"Wow, thanks!" TenTen said, fascinated. "I'll be glad to eat it, don't worry. I love sushi."

"Me too! Would you like some, Sakura?"

Sakura looked at the girl thoughtfully. Obviously, she was a vampire, and a really pretty one. Her gray eyes, that seemed oddly familiar, were gorgeous, and her skin was flawless. She was very nice, too; Sakura already liked her a lot. But most importantly, she was Sasuke's girlfriend.

What did it feel like, Sakura wondered, to be so pretty and friendly and to have a boyfriend whose eyes were so hypnotizing when they softened and whose deep voice melted anyone's heart…?

"Yeah, thank you," she said quickly, looking away because she was afraid Hinata would be able to read her stupid, stupid thoughts in her gaze. _What are you doing, Sakura? What are you thinking? What are you _feeling_?_

_He'll _never _like you. You'll never be with him, or with anyone else, because you _can't_. You're not beautiful. You're worthless and a danger for everybody. You're a half-breed, a _monster_, not supposed to exist and not allowed to live and to love. Deal with it._

They talked while they lunched, except for Sakura. She ate in silence, deep in thought – deep in misery.

* * *

><p><span>Notes<span>: I'm an unicorn :D


	24. The party

**Chapter twenty three**

_The party_

On Friday, Mikoto interrupted Sakura's lunch time briefly to tell her and her friends about a party that was taking place in the mansion the next day.

"Many important persons are coming," the dark haired vampire explained, sitting neatly on a chair besides Ino. The sun beamed down on her, making her pale skin look bright and healthy in contrast with her glossy black hair. "The purpose of the party is just to socialize. It's an old tradition of the Uchihas, actually, to make this kind of reunions at least once a year. We're a very friendly clan – I mean, family," she corrected herself quickly when she remembered TenTen was there too, because, as a human, the girl would find the word 'clan' odd in a casual conversation.

"Oh, I remember coming to one of those parties when I was younger!" Ino said excitedly. "My Dad brought me and it was really fun. I hope you're still such good hosts."

"We try to," Mikoto said, smiling smoothly. "But anyway, I'm telling you this because the party will start at seven, right after your shift is over, so you won't be on duty and you have no obligation to stay. However, our staff is not numerous enough at that time, so I would like to know if you girls would be willing to work at the party from seven to eleven. We'll pay you extra money for it, of course."

"Sounds good to me," TenTen said. "Extra money never hurts."

"I'll be glad to help, too," Sakura said. "But, what exactly will we be doing?"

"Well, you can be waitresses, help with the decoration or work in the kitchen. You choose."

"Oh, I wanna help with the decoration!" Ino said immediately.

"I'll work in the kitchen," TenTen decided.

"I guess I'd rather be a waitress," Sakura said. She was not very creative like Ino, so decoration was not her thing, and the mere thought of working in a kitchen packed with blood-filled humans and sharp objects made her shudder.

"Perfect, then!" Mikoto nodded and then looked directly at Sakura. Although she was smiling, there was a hint of worry in her eyes. "Sakura, I'm glad you're helping. But I want you to remember that there are going to be many people at the party, so you must be very careful."

Anyone would have thought that Mikoto knew how clumsy Sakura was acting lately, so she was just warning her that, if she wasn't careful, she would make a fool out of herself in front of many people. But Sakura knew that, in reality, the woman was trying to tell her to be discreet, because all those people would be vampires, and a half-breed waitressing for full vampires had to be cautious with not letting them find out what she really was.

Sakura nodded, trying hard to not show how nervous she suddenly was. "Okay. Don't worry, madam. I will do my best, and I will be fine." By that she meant she would try to be as invisible as possible and focus only on waitressing. It would be dangerous, but she knew it wouldn't be impossible. Besides, as TenTen had said, some extra money didn't hurt at all.

"I really hope so." Mikoto smiled sweetly and then rose to her feet. "Okay, I'm sorry for disturbing your lunch, girls. If you have any more doubts about this, please talk to the Housekeeper."

The girls waved goodbye at the woman and, once she was gone, started gossiping about the party. Ino told them how cool those parties usually were: high-elite people came, from celebrities to politicians; they served the finest wines and very fancy food; sometimes, there was even a show, like a live band performance. TenTen and Sakura listened to the blonde attentively, growing eager by each word she uttered.

"It's going to be awesome," Ino assured, and then suddenly she straightened up as if she'd been electrified. "Oh my God, I just had the best idea in the world!" She leaned forward and then whispered secretively, "We won't be working all night, right? Mrs. Uchiha said it'd only be until eleven. And the party won't end until after midnight, of course, so we could, like, bring pretty dresses and makeup, get changed and stuff, and then attend the party like normal guests!"

TenTen gasped. "But, can we do that?"

Ino rolled her eyes. "Aw, come on. I don't think Mrs. Uchiha will get very angry. Besides, we'll leave at twelve, I promise. Only an hour, okay? It'll be fun!"

Sakura sighed deeply. She looked straight into her cousin's blue eyes. "Ino, I'm not sure about this." She emphasized every word, and hoped the blonde would understand why she said that: because a half-breed couldn't simply walk around a party of vampires and try to mix with them. It was too risky. What if they noticed she was different? What would happen then?

Thankfully, Ino got it. Her enthusiasm vanished little by little, and she hid the change behind a sad smile. "You know what? You're right. Maybe it's not a good idea. We would look like intruders or something."

Suddenly, Sakura felt guilty she was ruining her cousin's plan. "You should go," she blurted out. "I'm sure your parents will come, so you could come with them." She looked at TenTen. "You could go, too. I'm sure the Namizakes will come as well."

TenTen shrugged. "Yeah, but I don't really feel like part of the family. I'm their daughter, but only legally. It would be awkward."

"Seriously, Saks, it _is _a bad idea," Ino said, pretending to be truthful. "I'm sure we'll be too tired to want to party, anyways."

Sakura wanted to say more, to convince her friends into having fun without her, but she couldn't think of anything to say. _This sucks_, she thought unhappily. I _suck_.

* * *

><p>On Saturday morning, the Housekeeper gave Sakura, TenTen and Ino new uniforms: black pants and white formal shirts. The day before, she'd told them to bring black shoes to match said uniform. Sakura liked it; she liked being able to wear pants, since they were more comfortable.<p>

They worked normally, like in any other day, although this day felt different, of course. The mansion was a buzz of activity. The front door was open the whole day because men kept walking in and carrying ice sculptures, audio systems and other things into the huge backyard, which was full of people installing tables, chairs and decoration. The mansion was starting to look beautiful, perfect for a great evening.

In the kitchen, it was even more noticeable that a party would happen at night: it was packed with kitchen maids running around, preparing the night's dinner, and the cook was screaming orders at everyone and everything. The air was hot and heavy, suffocating, and it smelled of many different courses. Sakura went inside only once, right after lunch time, to have some water, but she couldn't stand being there more than two minutes because almost instantly she started to feel claustrophobic.

Finally, when their shift ended at six, the girls took some time to rest. They sat at one of the many tables in the backyard, which wasn't as crowded as before, since everything was already in place. There were only a few maids putting white cloths over the bare tables and turning the lights they had installed on. The sun was starting to set, tinting the horizon orange while the rest of the sky darkened.

"The Housekeeper told me I would help decorate the tables," Ino commented. She was leaning back on her chair with her face towards the sky and her eyes closed as if meditating. "We're putting exotic, colorful flowers in vases on the middle, and small fishbowls with tiny pretty fishes in them, too. It's going to look awesome, but I think it's cruel we're using those poor fish just for decoration. I hope they'll give it back to the pet store or throw them into a pond when the party is over. If not, I'm going to make sure they will."

"They're just fish," TenTen laughed.

"They have feelings too!" the blonde vampire insisted. "I mean, they're _alive_. Therefore, they can _feel_. Duh, TenTen, why are you so _dumb_?"

"Your mom's dumb."

Ino gasped dramatically. "Oh no, you didn't."

"Oh yes, I did."

"Girls, quit it," Sakura said, annoyed. "I'm exhausted after my shift. I just have this hour to rest and then I'll get back to work. Give me a break, alright?"

"Yeah, girls, give Sakura a break," someone said from behind her. Sakura recognized the voice instantly. She spun her head around and was not surprised to see Naruto walking towards them, grinning as widely as usual.

Only a couple of steps behind Naruto walked a boy with spiky brown hair tied into a high ponytail. Sakura remembered meeting him on Wednesday; his name was Shikamaru. That day, she'd been too nervous to take a good look at him, but now she could see that he wasn't a vampire. He wasn't a werewolf, either. There was something unusual about him, in the way he moved: not as gracefully as a vampire, but not as brusquely as a werewolf, and not as awkwardly as a human. Could it be that he was the first wizard Sakura ever met?

She was about to turn to Ino and ask her quickly, before the boys were already there with them, but then she remembered TenTen was there too. It sucked to have to hide so many secrets from her, but there wasn't any other choice. Humans weren't supposed to know; it was not allowed. Besides, they wouldn't understand. They would think it was all a joke or a lie, just as Sakura had done when everything was revealed to her, and freak out. There was no point on taking such risk.

"Hey, sister," Naruto said, slumping on a chair besides TenTen. "I haven't seen you around much."

The brunette shrugged. "You know, I'm just too busy working in the basement."

Shikamaru stood behind Naruto, not uncomfortable, but clearly bored. He was gazing at the twilight, and Sakura was gazing at him. She was curious about him. She wanted to know if he was indeed a wizard, and in that case, she wanted him to perform magic. Magic was a fascinating thing.

"This is Shikamaru, by the way," Naruto told his adoptive sister. He looked at Sakura. "You already know him, right?"

"Yeah," Sakura said, looking away now that Shikamaru was paying attention to the conversation.

"Are you both coming to the party?" Ino asked the boys.

"Of course!" Naruto answered. "I wouldn't miss it in a thousand years. What about you girls?"

"Oh, we are coming," TenTen said, smiling. "We're working at it, actually."

"Really? Are you serious?" Naruto seemed concerned.

"Yeah, but it is okay," Sakura said. "We're getting paid extra money."

"You should take a little break at the end," Shikamaru suddenly proposed. His tone was lazy, as if he'd just woken up from a nap. "The best part is at midnight, when almost all adults are gone."

Naruto nodded, suddenly smiling mischievously. "I remember that last year we went in Itachi's car to the beach. We were all totally wasted, and then I…" He drifted off, his eyes suddenly wandering towards TenTen, who seemed interested on the story. His smile turned uneasy. "Never mind, you girls don't want to hear that."

Before the brunette could protest, Ino spoke, perhaps with the intention of saving Naruto from having to tell his sister about something that surely had to do with werewolves, vampires and wizards. "We can't do that, Shikamaru," she said. "We'll be too exhausted to want to do anything. Besides, Sakura doesn't like getting mixed with the kind of people that are coming, right, Saks?"

Naruto nodded, getting the message, but Shikamaru and TenTen, of course, didn't. "Why's that?" the human girl asked confusedly.

Sakura shrugged. "I don't know. They kind of, um, intimidate me." Quickly, she changed the subject. "Anyway, we're sorry we can't join you, guys. Maybe next year, if we're all, you know, still alive. Not that I think that we'll die soon, of course. I hope we won't. But anything's possible, right? Even dying." _Though it's even more possible in my case_, she thought bitterly.

"Yeah, well, maybe in another occasion," Naruto said. His smile was sympathetic, and Sakura had the sudden urge to smack him across the face. _I know I'm pitiful! You don't have to remind me of it!_

"I think we should get going, girls," Ino said, glancing at her golden watch, an accessory very out of place in a maid's wrist. "It's six forty nine. We have to change clothes and stuff."

They all stood up, even Naruto. He waved goodbye at them as they headed into the house, Shikamaru standing right beside him and watching Sakura go with a very thoughtful expression that made the girl suddenly feel nervous.

* * *

><p>It was nine fifty seven. Sasuke knew that because he was in the entrance hall, and every ten seconds he kept glancing at the grandfather's clock sitting on the corner of the large room. This was a clear sign of impatience that he didn't bother to hide, principally because the person he was with wouldn't notice, or wouldn't mind.<p>

Said person was Karin, the very annoying, very clingy niece of the leader representative of humans. Like most human girls he'd met in his life, she was kind of obsessed with having his attention all the time, and of course, it was very bothersome.

However, Sasuke was forced to treat her politely; either way, she would complain with her uncle, and that would get Sasuke in trouble with his parents. Putting up with her took all his self-control, though. It was one of the hardest things he had ever had to do.

Still, having to be polite didn't mean he had to be friendly. He feigned he listened to her nonsense babbler and even let her take his arm, but it was just impossible to pretend he enjoyed her company. That was okay, though, because all she wanted was to be seen with him, not to be liked by him or anyone else. She was that kind of person.

"So then I was like, bitch, you don't know shit!" Karin was saying. That was another thing he hated about her: she cussed as if that was the coolest thing in the world. "So keep your fucking mouth shut, because you know nothing about me! And then she was like, Karin, I'm your mother, of course I know you! But then I turned around and ran to my bedroom, so I didn't listen to whatever else she said. The good thing is that she later bought me a really cute purse to make me start talking to her again. Actually, it's the purse I brought tonight. It's black so it totally matches my outfit. By the way, do you like my dress, Sasuke? Do you think it's too short?"

"No, it's pretty," he mumbled, glancing again at the clock. Nine fifty eight.

"Really? Oh, I'm so glad you like it! So _I _look pretty, then?"

"Yeah, sure," he lied. She wasn't ugly, but with all that make up and her horrible personality, he couldn't bring himself to think of her as a pretty girl.

In that moment, a miracle happened. Naruto came running into the house, carrying a glass of white wine in each hand; the one on the left was full, and the one on the right was half-empty. He looked around and when he spotted Sasuke, he grinned and jogged towards him.

"There you are!" he exclaimed, coming to a halt and almost spilling wine on Karin's dress. A few drops landed on the fabric, but since it was black, the stains were unnoticeable.

"Watch out, you idiot!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, look what you've done, Naruto," Sasuke said, faking a disappointed tone. "Don't worry, Karin, I'll get you a napkin."

"Uh, no, it is fine-"

"It's_ not_ fine. Come on, Naruto, you come with me," Sasuke said, taking his friend by the elbow and dragging him out of the mansion.

"You are welcome," the werewolf said once they were in the backyard, bursting out laughing and spilling some more wine.

"Idiot," Sasuke grumbled, taking the glasses from Naruto. "Are you drunk already?"

"Nah, only kind of tipsy," the blond replied, snatching the glasses from him and taking a long gulp from the half-empty one. "Ohhh, I love this wine! Have you tasted it yet? You _have_ to tell me where you got it from, dude."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. Then, he looked around them. All the tables that had been installed were occupied by several vampires, some werewolves, some wizards, and a few humans, most of them familiar to Sasuke. Earlier, he'd already greeted them all, as his parents forced him to ever since he was a little kid. Everyone was talking quietly, and booming laughter was heard only every now and then. These were creatures from different species socializing in harmony.

Soft jazz music was being performed live by the band on the stage facing the garden, muffling everyone's voices slightly. The melodies floated in the cold night air carrying peacefulness into everyone's ears. Sasuke watched the band for a moment, and then he glanced at the long tables where the food sat on. He realized he hadn't had a single bite in the whole evening.

"I'm going for food," he told Naruto.

"Sure, you have fun!" the werewolf replied, already walking away with his glasses of wine.

Sasuke suppressed a sigh and then headed towards the closest food table. There was a girl standing in front of it, and he didn't recognize her at first. But then, as he got closer, he realized it was Hinata. She looked different because she was wearing her hair up in a high bun and a long, beautiful light-blue dress that showed off her womanly figure with just enough discretion for a young woman like her.

"Oh, hi!" she said when he came to stand besides her. She had a plate in her hands, and she was filling it with fruits. "How's it going?"

"Naruto just saved me from Karin," he said, taking a plate of his own. "I hope she doesn't come looking for me again. I cannot stand her any longer."

Hinata giggled. "She just likes you."

"She just likes attention."

She nodded. "That, too."

There was just too much food on the table, too many options, so Sasuke just picked the first things he saw: two small sandwiches and some mashed potatos. "How are you?" he asked his fiancée.

She sighed sadly. "I really hate this, you know? My cheeks hurt from smiling at people so much. Being the Hyuga heiress is a pain in the butt, if you excuse the cussing."

"It's okay. You're right. All these people, they're always expecting something from us just because of the family we come from. They want us to be perfect, follow all the rules gladly and just act like puppets of the society." He lowered his voice. "But we're _not _their puppets. If we want to, we can do whatever we want."

"But we can't," Hinata replied, looking up at him. "It's our _responsibility_ to be their puppets."

Sasuke pressed his lips together. This was why he couldn't stand the thought of spending his whole life with Hinata: she was such a coward when it came to speaking her mind! He felt caged up like a domestic bird when he was with her: trapped and always supposed to obey, to look good, and to do what he was _expected _to do, not what he _wanted_ to do.

"Maybe," he said finally. "Anyway, I'm going to look for Naruto before he makes a fool out of himself. He's already getting drunk."

Hinata giggled, the seriousness on her expression slipping off like a blanket. "Okay, see you around. Take good care of him."

Sasuke walked away with his plate on hand. He wasn't really going to look for Naruto; he just wanted to be left alone.

He was heading towards an empty table when someone suddenly bumped against his back. One of his sandwiches fell to the floor, and he frowned at it. Ready to glare at whoever had made him drop his food, he turned around – and met a familiar emerald green gaze.

"Oh no," the half-breed, Sakura Haruno, said, looking down at the small sandwich on the ground. "I am so sorry, sir, I can't believe I was so-"

"It's okay," Sasuke interrupted through gritted teeth. He then took a moment to note her appeareance: she was wearing black pants, a formal white shirt, and a white apron around her hips, and her pink hair was tied into a high ponytail. Her round face was completely uncovered, and he realized for the first time how wide her forehead was. Still, that little flaw didn't make her make her look ugly; in fact, it made her stand out among all the other girls he'd ever met.

She _was_ a pretty girl. Too bad she was half vampire and half human, and so goddamn clumsy.

"Um, shall I bring you a new one?" she questioned, blushing slightly from embarrassment.

"No," he answered impatiently.

Sakura blinked nervously. Then, she glanced at the bottle of wine and the glasses on the tray she was carrying and smiled a little. "Uh, then, would you like some wine?"

"No."

She licked her lips nervously. "Okay, then… I must go now. Again, I apologize for-"

"You shouldn't be here," he interrupted her, lowering his voice and looking away. "Half of the people in this party are vampires, you know? And it's not hard to notice you're an unusual being. Anyone really looking could tell."

Oddly, those words made her nervousness dissipate. "I know," she said in the same low, even voice. "But I'm being really careful, Sasuke. I'm sure no one's even noticed me yet. I'm just an invisible waitress. Besides, I try to spend time out here as much as possible. The less light there is, the harder it is to see I'm… different."

"And your smell is less noticeable in an open-air place," Sasuke added, nodding in agreement. "Good. But still, all of this is risky. You shouldn't have come."

"I need the money," was all she said.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Why? You're practically a Yamanaka. They're one of the richest clans in Japan. You don't really _have_ to work. Just ask for some money."

Sakura shook her head. "You don't understand. I am not supposed to still be alive. If they give me money, what are they going to tell others if they can't tell anyone about me? That they're throwing the money away, giving it to charity? Besides, I don't want to be a bother, and this job is okay. It gives me enough to pay for my bills and even to save some money for med school."

He stared at her for a long time, suddenly wondering, suddenly imagining what her dreams and goals were, what her hobbies were, what her house looked like, what her favorite food was… how it was like to be her, always fearing someone would find her out, and then kill her.

What did it feel like, Sasuke wondered, to have just recently discovered that your whole life had been a lie?

"Sasuke!" someone called from behind him, pulling him out of his thoughts and making him break the stare. Sakura had been staring back the whole time, he realized. Maybe she was wondering about his life too.

Sasuke turned around and was annoyed to see Karin walking towards him. She smiled smugly and put a hand on his shoulder, pressing her side against his. "There you are," she purred, and then glanced disdainfully at Sakura. "Oh. Give me a glass of wine, would you?"

"Sure," Sakura said, expertly opening the bottle and pouring its liquid into one of the two glasses on the tray. She handed it to Karin, who took a sip from it and then grimaced.

"Ugh, white wine," she said, handing it back. "Get me red wine, okay? And quickly."

Sakura nodded and hurried away. As soon as she was out of earshot, Karin asked in a rather angry tone, "What were you talking about with that waitress, Sasuke?"

"Nothing," he said, watching the half-breed go. "Absolutely nothing."

* * *

><p><span>Notes:<span> My spring break is finally over, which means I won't have much free time anymore, boooo! Still, I proooomise I'll try very hard to keep writing, because this story is getting sosososo exciting and the best part is_ finally_ coming, omfg. Anyway, I love you all, keep reviewing. :)


	25. The other halfbreed

**Chapter twenty four**

_The other half-breed_

It didn't take Sakura more than a second to start feeling suffocated in the kitchen. If she thought it was a chaos earlier, right now it seemed like a battle field. There was noise, people, dishes clattering, and in the air, the smell of food, human sweat and… blood? Someone must have cut their finger while chopping vegetables. It was a good thing that Ino gave Sakura a glass of blood mixed with tomato juice a couple of hours ago. "Just in case," the blonde had said. Sakura was more thankful to her than ever.

As hurriedly as she could, she walked deeper into the room and headed straight towards the glass cabinet where the alcoholic drinks where kept. The Uchihas loved wine, and Sakura was very amazed by the variety of bottles they possessed. She opened the door of the cabinet and pulled out the first bottle of red wine she identified. Then, she put it on the tray she was still carrying, keeping the balance of the two bottles and the single glass on it, and walked as fast as possible towards the exit.

Once she was out of the kitchen, she breathed a sigh of relief. _Poor kitchen maids,_ she thought. _They must be sick of being in there… or maybe they've already grown used to it. If I were in there for longer than two minutes, I would totally faint, or lose my mind, or both._

Sakura headed back to the backyard, making her way through the sea of people that almost filled the entire entrance hall. Inside the mansion it was too hot, but outside it was too cold. It seemed like most of the guests, however, preferred to sweat than to shiver. Personally, Sakura would rather be outside. Crowds had always made her feel trapped and frightened.

In the backyard, she walked around searching for the red haired girl that had ordered her – in a very rude manner, by the way – to get her the red wine. She couldn't find her, even though her hair color was pretty noticeable, so she then decided to look for Sasuke, because the girl looked like she wanted to spend the rest of the evening by his side. _What a slut_, Sakura thought bitterly. _What a very rude, very ugly, red haired slut_.

Oh, there she went again, thinking of Sasuke as if he belonged to her. Yesterday, she'd done the same thing, this time with Hinata. Of course, she didn't call the Hyuga a slut, because she was too nice and sweet to deserve that. But Sakura did wish she would go back to her home, away from Sasuke, because seeing them together was making her sick.

But that was wrong. Sasuke's love life was none of her business, and she wasn't supposed to even _think_ about it. It was very, very wrong to care, and also useless. No matter how much she thought, wished or hoped, Sasuke would never be meant for her.

And she couldn't find him anywhere in the backyard. The red haired girl was not there, either. Maybe they had gone away together. Maybe they were making out in the bathroom right now. Or maybe they were in Sasuke's room… But Sakura didn't give a damn about what they were going, did she?

"Excuse me," a guy that was standing right in front of her and that she hadn't noticed until then said, looking at her with a mix of worry, amusement and confusion. "Can you hear me?"

"Oh! I'm sorry, yes. Yes, I can hear you," Sakura said, embarrassed of having spaced out.

"Oh, okay. Are you okay?" The guy smiled, and that made Sakura notice how good looking he was. His smile was perfect: straight, white teeth, and thin, pink lips. His skin was a bit too pale, but it made an entrancing contrast with his black suit and his raven hair, which was very short and soft-looking. However, his eyes were the best part: they were very dark, like two pools of oil…

Suddenly, she understood why she found him so handsome: he looked a lot like Sasuke.

Maybe Sakura was misunderstanding her own thoughts, but if not, then it seemed like she already had a huge crush on Sasuke. Instead of being embarrassed or angry, Sakura was very, very scared. If her feelings got any deeper, and then she dared to confess it all to him, he would hurt her; she was certain he would. Because, what guy – especially a full vampire – in his right mind would want someone like Sakura?

Her mind was racing, and so was her pulse, but she forced herself to answer in an even voice, "I'm okay." Then, she licked her lips because her mouth was suddenly very dry, perhaps because of her fear. She was indeed very frightened, of herself, of the future, of her emotions.

No, not frightened –_ terrified_, actually.

"Um, can I help you with something?" she asked the guy, wanting him to leave her alone so that she could go to the bathroom and splash cold water on her face.

"I would like some wine," he replied, still smiling. Either he didn't notice how bad she was, or he ignored it. "That one's red, right?"

"Yes," Sakura said, and then she quickly poured him a glass of it. "Here," she said, handing the drink to him. She realized her hand was shaking, and so did he.

"Are you really okay?" he asked, his smile completely gone.

Sakura licked her lips again. She was about to lie again, but then she realize it was useless to keep doing that. "No," she sighed. "I'm sorry. I just – I don't know…"

"Why don't you take a seat and try to calm down?" the guy said concernedly, gesturing towards an empty table hidden under a tree near the garden.

Sakura knew she shouldn't. She was a waitress, and he was a guest. She was supposed to be working, and he was supposed to be enjoying the party. They shouldn't sit together. She shouldn't take this break…

But she needed to sit down. _Just a couple of minutes_, she told herself as she nodded and followed the guy to the table.

* * *

><p>"Sucks that you can't join us in the after party," Itachi said, making small movements with his fingers towards his fork, which was lifting a few inches into the air and then dropping on the table with a soft thud, controlled by him.<p>

"Well, I could," Ino replied, watching the fork with a hand under her chin. "I mean, my shift ends at eleven, although right now it's not even ten and I'm already free to do whatever I want. I could go home in my car, get changed, and then come back at midnight."

"And why won't you?" Itachi questioned.

The blonde sighed sadly, blowing a lock of hair away from her face. "Sakura can't come. People will notice she's different if she walks around the party freely. I mean, no one's paying attention to her right now because she's a just waitress and everyone assumes she's an unimportant human, so they don't give her a second glance. But if she gets all dressed up and pretty, she'll look like one of us, and people will start to question who she is and… well, the rest won't be pretty."

"I agree," he said, "but that doesn't explain why _you_ can't have some fun with us. You've heard how our parties are like. All the vampires our age get together and we do some really crazy shit."

Ino smiled. "Of course I know. You guys sure know how to throw an after party. But I can't come because I don't want Sakura to feel left out. She says she wants me to come and have fun even if it's without her, but I know that deep inside she wishes she could come too."

"Well, then don't tell her you'll come."

"What! No, I won't do that. I hate lying to her. Besides, I – Itachi, leave that fork alone!"

Itachi sighed and rolled his eyes, but he did stop playing with his fork. "It's not my fault your gift is not fun like mine, okay?"

"The movement is driving me mad. Just stop, alright?"

"Okay, whatever." He paused and looked at her curiously, as if he'd suddenly realized something. "Why do I never see you using your gift? You can hear words and sounds from the future, right?"

"Yeah, but it makes my head ache afterward. I've only tried it a few times, and the ache keeps getting worse. Besides, what's the freaking use of being a prophetess if you can only _hear_ what is going to happen? My gift sucks."

"Maybe," he shrugged, and then put his elbows on the table, leaning closer to her. "Anyway, I think you should consider coming. The more people we are, the more fun we have."

She smiled. "Why do I have the feeling that you want to get me drunk and take advantage of me?"

He smiled back and winked. "You're too smart for your own good, Yamanaka."

In that moment, Ino caught a glimpse of pink hair over Itachi's right shoulder. She stopped joking and attentively watched her cousin walk towards the garden, apparently following a dark haired guy Ino didn't recognize. Inexplicably, the sight triggered a bad feeling within her.

"Itachi," she said, "do you know that guy that is with Sakura?"

The Uchiha glanced over his shoulder slowly and discreetly. He watched the two people for a few seconds, and then turned to Ino. "No," he answered, "which is kind of weird, since I know most of the people here. It's my party, after all."

"I don't like him," the blonde confessed, frowning.

"Do you know him?"

"No, I have no idea who he is, but... I don't know. He just doesn't seem like a good guy, even from behind. I don't want him near Sakura."

Itachi looked over his shoulder again. Sakura and the guy had seated at a table; she seemed to be telling him something, rubbing her forehead as if distressed, and he was listening attentively. "You're losing your mind, darling. I don't see anyhing wrong in him. He looks like a normal guy."

"He's not a vampire, is he?"

Itachi frowned at her, showing he hadn't really been thinking about what he was or wasn't. He glanced behind him again, watched for a few moments, and then sighed. "I can't see well enough, Ino. But why does it matter? There are all kinds of people here."

The blonde was about to explain him how there seemed to be something off with that guy, but then she realized that not even she understood herself, so she shut her mouth. _Maybe I'm tired,_ she thought, _and I'm just imagining stuff. Maybe I'm going crazy... When was the last time I fed? This afternoon?_

"I need some blood," she said hastily before rising to her feet and walking away, leaving Itachi frowning confusedly.

* * *

><p>"I'm Sai, by the way."<p>

Sakura looked up at the guy sitting in front of her and started laughing. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry," she said between nervous giggles. "I've been telling you all about my love life even though I don't even know your name!"

"Don't worry. You know it now." The guy, Sai, smiled. Sakura noticed his smiles where very tiny, almost unnoticeable, and his eyes stayed blank and emotionless even as he smiled. However, his tone was always warm and friendly, and it made her want to trust him. She thought she already did. After all, she'd just told him everything about her current situation with Sasuke – although she gave no names or details that included vampires or anything like that, of course. Sai seemed to be a vampire, and if he knew she, a supposedly completely normal human waitress, knew about his kind, things would start to get ugly.

"I'm Sakura," she replied, smiling back. "And I'm also sorry for talking so much. I'm totally annoying you, am I not?"

"Nah, it's okay," he answered, shrugging. "But anyway, where were we? Oh, right! So, you're not supposed to like that guy, huh? I don't see why not. Everyone can like whoever they like. It's a free country."

Sakura couldn't answer that question honestly, of course. "Um, let's just say he's out of my reach."

"But why? You're a very pretty and nice girl, Sakura. _Everyone_ is in your reach."

"Oh, believe me, not everyone," she laughed bitterly, and then suddenly realized he'd complimented her. "Um, thanks, anyway. For calling me pretty and stuff. You're very sweet."

"I'm just telling the truth."

Sai's stare was so intense it eventually made Sakura's cheeks blush slightly. She looked away, a bit uncomfortable, not because it was clear he was flirting with her, but because his eyes made her feel butterflies in her stomach mostly because they reminded her of Sasuke's.

_Stop, Sakura. Stop your stupid thoughts. Stop remembering you have a crush on him, and maybe that way you'll forget about it, and then you won't like him anymore..._

"I've to get back to work," she said, quickly standing up and reaching for the tray she'd left on the table. "If someone sees me like this, I'll get fired."

"You're right," Sai said, standing up too. "It was really nice talking to you, even if this conversation is not exactly over. There are still a few things I want to know about you."

"Maybe in another occasion," she said, although she didn't exactly want to see him again. He was nice and everything, but she wasn't looking for a boyfriend – specially if she was interested only in one guy.

_No you're not! You're not interested in Sasuke, or in anyone! Stop it!_

"See you later, Sakura," Sai said softly.

"Okay, bye," she said hastily before turning around and walking away as fast as she could without dropping the tray.

* * *

><p>It was almost midnight, and the guests were starting to leave. At the front foor, the Uchihas thanked everyone for coming, like the great hosts they were, while in the backyard the tired maids started to clean the everything up. They took the dishes and the food left to the kitchen, the tablecloths to the basement, and the decoration to the dining room, where they packed it neatly in boxes.<p>

Ino was helping pack the decoration. She was on her knees, putting empty fishbowls – the fishes were taken somewhere else; she thought she would ask later – in a box, when someone suddenly patted her shoulder. The blonde turned and saw Sakura kneeling down beside her, smiling lightly. Her green eyes were dull and bloodshot; she was obviously exhausted.

"I want to go home already," Sakura mumbled before yawning. "I've never missed my bed so much."

"Me too," Ino lied. In fact, she still had quite a lot energy left, and she'd even been considering staying for the after party. It would only take her half an hour to go home, get ready, and then come back (she could be very fast and practical when she wanted to). The idea didn't sound so bad now that she compared it to the idea of getting into bed to lay awake for several hours while others had fun.

But Sakura was another case, it seemed. The girl clearly rather go home and sleep than stay awake a bit longer to drink and dance with people her age. Ino should have expected it, really. Sakura had always been that kind of calm, boring person. She'd never even gotten drunk in her whole eighteen years of life!

And there was something else: the fact that she was a half-breed and, therefore, it was risky for her to party with vampires that would freak out and then kill her as soon as they realized what she was.

Ino sighed and tried not to be annoyed at her cousin as she continued packing the fishbowls. It was not Sakura's fault to be like that, just like it wasn't Ino's fault to be so energetic and enthusiastic when it came to having fun and breaking a few rules. Still, she couldn't help but wish the half-breed were a bit more different – a bit more_ normal_.

She shook her head, tried to scare those stupid, cruel thoughts away, and then turned to her cousin with a sweet smile on her face. She took a decision impulsevely, and before she could think and analyze the idea twice, she blurted out, "And guess what? My life totally sucks, because the Housekeeper just told me that she needs me to stay a bit longer to help out some more, since I practically didn't do anything besides installing the lights and decorating the tables."

Sakura seemed taken aback. "Are you serious?"

_No._ "Yeah. What a total bitch, huh?"

"Yeah..." Sakura frowned and stared thoughtfully at her lap. "I guess TenTen and I can ask someone else to take us home, then..."

"Oh, no! I will take you. I'll just have to come back here after I drop you off."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course! Do you really think I would let anyone else take my best friends home?" Ino grinned and winked. Perhaps she looked compeltely honest and relaxed on the outside, but her pulse had sped up and her palms were sweating, as they usually did when she was lying. Guilt already burnt painfully in her chest. _I'm such a horrible person, _she thought._ But it would be even more horrible to go home, try to sleep and be totally lame by myself when I could be partying!_

"Come on, go grab your bag and also mine," the blonde vampire said, avoiding eye contact. "I'll just finish packing these fishbowls and then we'll leave. Find TenTen and tell her to get ready to leave, too."

Sakura nodded, smiled tiredly, and left. Ino watched her walk away for a few seconds, feeling her guilt intensify by each moment that went by, and then she focused back on packing, repeating in her mind, _I'm not hurting her. It's just a tiny little lie. I'm _not _hurting her._

* * *

><p>The only thing he liked about being half vampire was that he had strenght and velocity that turned out to be very useful most of the time. He could jump from building to building without making noise, without slipping, and without even getting tired. With his instincts fully awake, he could run miles and miles and never even sweat, which was extremely cool.<p>

But every curse had its advantages, and they didn't make it any less wrong.

He landed on the roof of a three-stored house in the poorest, filthiest side of the town. The house was once a beautiful, rustic mansion, but now its wood was rotten, its glass windows broken and covered with badly nailed planks, and its frontyard was a chaos of knee-long weed and smelly garbage.

There was not a single light on inside. From the outside, the mansion looked like a dark, intimidating cave. But he knew there were people inside, people that didn't need any light because they liked darkness and could see well enough with their great sights in it. They were waiting for him, and he was eager to reunite with them. He had excellent news to give.

Through the broken glass door in the third-floor's balcony, he stepped into the abandoned mansion. He could see well in the darkness too, but not as well as the people expecting him, and therefore, it was uncomfortable to walk blindly at first. However, soon enough, he got used to it, and he moved silently and quickly out of the room, through the corridor, and down the stairs.

In the second floor, he headed towards the door at the end of the corridor. This door was unlike to all the others in the house, because it had been renovated and, of course, it was new, clean and it looked good. He turned its handle, pushed it open, and stepped into the room at the other side.

"Oh," a monotonous voice said from among the blackness. "Look who's here."

"Took you long enough," another voice said grumpily. "I'm fucking starving, but we couldn't leave before you got here."

"I apologize," he replied in a calm, respectful tone. "It took me longer to find the girl than what I thought it would."

"But you did find her, correct?" the first voice questioned.

He looked directly into the owner of the voice's face, having to squint his eyes to make out the long face, the pale skin, the round glasses and the long, gray hair. "Yes," he replied. "I found Sakura Haruno. She's alive."

There was a collective laughter full of satisfaction and evilness. It almost made the hairs on his arms stand – _almost_. "Excelent," the first voice said. "Now go inform the vampire hunters, Sai. I bet they will be exhilarated to hear this wonderful news."

Sai bowed slightly and, without another word, he left to do what he was born to do: obey orders.

* * *

><p><span>Notes<span>: Yeah, short chapter, sorry. But the best is coming, so please don't hate me.


	26. The vampire tracker

**Chapter twenty five **

_The vampire tracker_

As usual on Sunday mornings, Sakura woke up late. The alarm clock on her bedside table said it was ten forty in the morning: a blissful hour to wake up at.

Last night, when she'd finally gotten home and climbed into bed, Sakura had fallen into a – thankfully – dreamless sleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow. That meant that, even if she'd wanted to stay for the after party, she wouldn't have been able to stay awake, which made her feel a little bit better. It was good to know that she didn't go to parties not precisely because she was a half-breed and had to be extremely careful with not being discovered, but because she was just not the kind of girl that could stay up too late.

When she opened her eyes that day, she felt rested and as good as she hadn't felt in a while. She felt oddly satisfied with her life, even when she was still aware of how crappy it had become. All that positive thinking was probably only caused by the fact that today was her free day and she could rest and do whatever she wanted. Or maybe she was just starting to get used to her new life and learning to see the good, joyful little details in it.

Mumbling a happy song she'd heard in the radio a couple of days ago, Sakura stepped out of her bedroom and headed into the bathroom to take a nice, cold shower to start her day with. It was strange for her to be in such a good mood, but she decided to enjoy it while it lasted.

In the shower, she continued singing all kinds of songs she could remember: from the fast, enthusiastic ones, to the ones with the sad, romantic lyrics. She did it at the top of her lungs, not minding being heard by Shizune, who was probably downstairs, cooking in the kitchen, reading a book in the living room, or outside, watering the plants, since it was also her free day. _Beautiful, beautiful Sundays..._

It was exactly eleven o'clock when Sakura came back to her bedroom, with her hair dripping wet and a towel wrapped around her body. Humming softly, she pulled out comfy clothing from her closet and put it on. Then, she blow-dried her dyed pink hair, which was growing, she noticed; it was about to reach the middle of her back. Also, she could already see her blonde roots; she'd have to dye it again soon.

If she hadn't decided to blow dry her hair, she thought later, none of the things that happened next would have happened the way they did.

She had just finished drying her hair, happy with how straight and soft it ended up, when she realized there was someone else in the room with her. Weirdly, she didn't find it out because she'd _seen_ that someone, but because she'd _felt_ their presence: an unfamiliar, buzzing energy a few feet behind her. She turned to look just to verify her suspicions, really.

A man was standing in the corner of Sakura's pink-walled bedroom, right next to the open window. He was tall and muscular, couldn't be older than forty, and had skin browned by the sun, dark spiky hair and a small cigarette between his thin lips. His small dark eyes were fixed severely on her, patiently watching her reaction. Sakura thought, _I'd left that window closed, but he somehow opened and sneaked in through it. I suppose that means I have to secure my house a bit better..._ and then, she screamed.

The scream didn't last more than two seconds, though. The man moved in a blink of an eye, with an agility she'd never seen before, and clasped a hand over her mouth, muffling any sound that came out of it. She wondered if he moved like that because he was a vampire, but he was close enough for her to realize he was human and to see the panic and desperation in his eyes.

"Shush, girl," he whispered without getting a hold of his cigarette. His breath smelled of tobacco and mint.

Sakura tried to scream some more, but he was doing a good job at silencing her. _This is it_, she thought miserably as she looked into the man's dark gaze through the tears already filling her eyes. _This is the day I die. He's going to rape me, torture me, maybe cut a few of my fingers, and he'll do it so well, so discreetly, that Shizune will find my body in a few hours, when he's already gone, and I'm already dead._ She closed her eyes tightly, spilling the tears down her cheeks and on the rough hand covering her mouth, and added, _But well, I wasn't really excited about living this crappy life I have, anyway, so maybe he's actually doing me a great favor..._

"Listen to me carefully," the man said breathlessly, interrupting her thoughts. His tone alarmed her so much she snapped her eyes open to look at him. His cigarette had dropped to the ground, but he didn't seem to mind. "I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to _warn _you. I am a vampire hunter – but no, my intention is not to hunt you. It is supposed to be it, but it's not. I _don't_ want to kill you, girl. Your father used to be my best friend; I would never hurt his daughter. That's why I'm warning you that the other vampire hunters _do_ want to hurt you. They don't care your father used to be one of us, or that he was from one of the most powerful, most ancient vampire hunters' clans in Japan, or that he was such a great person, like I do. The only thing they care about is what you are: a half-breed. They haven't forgotten you, girl. Many years ago they tried to get rid of you, and they thought they'd done it, but now that they've found out you're still alive and your vampire half has awaken, they're going to kill you off for sure this time. You have to be careful, Sakura Haruno. You must stay _alive_."

Sakura was frozen. All feelings within her had dissipated, leaving behind no more than a dark, heart-sinking dread that twisted her insides painfully. She felt like the blood had suddenly stopped flowing through her veins. Her ears were buzzing and everything around her was spinning lightly: she was about to faint. But she tried her best to stay awake and focus on the anxious face floating in front of her and on the meaning of the words she'd just heard.

Slowly and hesitantly, the man dropped his hand, uncovering her mouth. Sakura didn't make a single sound; she just stood there, still frozen, still in shock, and did nothing but stare at him for a long, long moment, her mind racing.

"Vampire hunters?" was the first thing she could utter. Although it was barely a question, those two simple words expressed all her doubts about what the man had explained. Vampire hunters – they existed? Why hadn't anyone told her before? Why were they hunting her? Were they the ones that wanted to kill her and killed her parents instead? Or did vampires wanted her dead as well? Did _everyone_ wanted her dead? Everyone but her friends and family, and this man, it seemed. This man, her father's old friend, a vampire hunter wanting her to stay alive and be careful...

Was she still asleep and just dreaming?

The man nodded and spoke in a rush, as if he was running out of time. "They want you dead. Half-breeds are not supposed to exist; still, vampire hunters are not supposed to get into that business, because they only kill vampires that break the rules and kill humans. But although you haven't done anything wrong, they want you dead because you're a very rare half-breed. Your parents had a secret not many knew about. There's a reason they decided to have you, and it's a valid reason, I promise. I don't have time to explain, but I'm sure you'll find out soon enough. The point is that vampire hunters discovered this secret, found out what makes you so different and dangerous and powerful, and that's why they're looking for you now. They cannot take the risk of having you do what you've come to the world to do."

"What?" she whispered, instinctively taking a step back. The world was spinning faster and faster by each second that ticked by. Her mind was a mess of jumbled thoughts and words, from which _rare, parents, secret, valid reason, different, dangerous, powerful_ and _risk_ stood out like neon signs in a dark road.

The man grasped her shoulders abruptly, digging his fingers into her skin. Sakura flinched, still scared of him, but he was too concentrated on his words to notice or care. "You have a purpose in this world, Sakura," he said. "Everyone does, but yours is one of those big, important ones that gets noticed and that changes many lives. As I said, there's no time to explain, but you have to believe me. You _cannot_ get killed, Sakura. If you die, your parents' deaths will be in vain, and they sacrificed too much to be let down. Do it for them, and for everyone else. You're unique. You have the strength and the tools, and you have to use them in your favor." He dropped his hands to his sides. His gaze softened and saddened, as if looking into her wide, green eyes made him feel nostalgic. "You look so much like them," he said lowly. "I hope you're a bit like them, as well."

And just like that, the man turned and hurried towards the window. Sakura realized he was leaving, and before he possibly disappeared forever form her life, she called out, "Who are you?"

The man paused and looked at her with a small, humorless smirk. "I'm the best vampire tracker in the country, and perhaps also in the world," he replied. "I was ordered to find you, and I did. Of course, I'll do you a favor and keep your location to myself. In return, I want you to give importance to what I told you, be very careful and brave, and start using your power. Don't be an ungrateful brat." Then, he jumped out of the window in one swift, quick movement.

Sakura stood immobile for several minutes, staring at the window. Air blew into the room, making the soft, purple curtains sway and dance like the ones in her first dream, the one about Sasuke, had done. It was sunny outside, a perfect day to be happy, and at first, when she'd woken up, she _had_ been happy. But right now she was just confused and very, very scared.

* * *

><p>Ino was hungover. Her head ached and felt like it weighed a ton, her mouth was as dry as a desert, and the dizziness was overwhelming. Also, the lights seemed way too bright and the noises way too loud. It was horrible. She knew she shouldn't have drunk so much last night, but boy, was the alcohol good. Itachi sure knew how to prepare cocktails. Besides, she knew now that drinking with Naruto was the funniest worst idea in the world: the werewolf was so damn hilarious when he was intoxicated that one didn't even notice how many glasses one emptied while listening to his jokes and watching him do stupid things.<p>

Honestly, she didn't regret going to last night's party. It was one of the best nights in her life. She'd laughed until her stomach ached, met many people, and hung out with very old friends. She'd even hooked up with two different guys. Of course, things hadn't gone too far with them, but it had been nice to be free and careless enough to allow herself to get that distracted. It had felt great to be able to have fun like everyone else because she did not have to worry about taking care of Sakura, who had been safely tucked in bed and very far from the craziness of the party at that moment.

Yes, definitely one of the best nights Ino had ever had. That was why the hungover and the speech her father had given her about how irresponsible and immature getting drunk was had been so worth it.

The only bad thing was that now her father was being overly cruel and forcing her to get out of bed and go with him to Sakura's place, when all Ino wanted right now was to rest, drink lots of water and then sleep.

"It's her free day," she argued as they drove to Tsunade's house. "We should let her rest and enjoy her free time, Dad. Why are you so unfair?"

"It's almost midday, already," Inoichi replied. "I'm sure she's already woken up. Besides, it'll only be a couple of hours. I just want to talk to her about her gift. It's time we find out what it is."

"Yeah, but still, we should've come later, don't you think?"

He shook his head. "I'm going to be busy later. It's the perfect time, daughter. Stop whining."

The blonde sighed deeply and stared with annoyance through her window. They were already in Sakura's street. Soon enough, they turned in a corner and a big, two-stored white house with a front yard alive with many plants appeared. Ino's father parked right in front of it, and then they both got off the car.

Only a few moments after they rang the doorbell, Shizune opened the door for them. "Oh, hi! Come on in," the brunette said, smiling widely. They stepped into the house and then followed her towards the living room. Once there, she asked them,"Would you like something to drink?"

"No thank you, Shizune," Inoichi replied as he and his daughter sat on the couch. "We're here to talk to Sakura. There are still a few things we want to discuss with her about her nature."

"Oh, sure. Let me go get her. She's taking a shower, I think."

Just as Shizune turned around to leave, they suddenly heard quick footsteps coming down the stairs. The three of them waited, knowing it was Sakura but wondering why she was in such a hurry, until the pink haired girl appeared in the entrance hall's doorway, panting and with an expression on her face that resembled that of a scared animal running away from its predator.

Ino's heart sank instantly, and she rose to her feet as if she'd been abruptly pulled by someone. There was something wrong, she knew it. Strangely, she thought of the unfamiliar black-haired guy she'd seen her cousin with at the party. Did he have something to do? If so, _what_?

"Sakura?" Inoichi asked carefully, as if not wanting to freak the girl out any more, slowly standing up as well. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

Sakura was not panting from running, Ino realized. She was actually taking quick, deep calming breaths. "I'm not hurt," she replied. The blonde noticed how she didn't specified if she was alright or not.

"Honey, what's happened?" Shizune asked worriedly, slowly stepping towards the shaken girl. "Is everything okay?"

Without a warning, the half-breed started to cry. It caught the three other people in the room completely off guard. They just hadn't expected her to break down in that moment, so suddenly. She seemed anxious, yes, and maybe even frightened – but if there was a reason for her to weep, then everything was worse than anyone could've guessed.

Shizune was the first to react. She hurried towards her adoptive cousin and wrapped her arms around her. Sakura hugged back tightly, clenching the brunette's flannel shirt as if her life depended on it, and sobbed harder. "Shhh," Shizune said softly, rocking the girl back and forth slightly. "It's alright now, Sakura. I'm here. You're safe."

Ino and her father watched the scene from their places, stunned by Sakura's random break down. Both of them were certain something big and bad was coming – they could just sense it, as anyone else would have. They were suddenly afraid, but more for Sakura than for themselves.

* * *

><p>Sakura told them about what had happened in her bedroom only a couple of minutes before the fog of daze covering her mind had finally dissipated and she'd sprinted down the stairs like a mad person. She described the man and recalled every single word he had uttered. Surprisingly, she remembered everything very well; the memories were clear enough. It certainly hadn't been a dream – and she admitted that made her unhappy. She would have rather to have a crazy dream than a crazy reality.<p>

When she was done telling all she could tell, there was a long moment of heavy silence before Inoichi sighed tiredly, looking slightly melancholic "I cannot believe this," he said lowly, massaging his left temple. "Haruno... I _knew_ I'd heard that last name before. How could I not remember it?"

"Dad, what do you mean?" Ino asked, alarmed.

He shook his head and closed his eyes. "Oh, God... How could she?"

"Are you talking about my mother?" Sakura questioned. "Do you mean, how could she marry and have a child with a vampire hunter?"

Inoichi nodded."Yes. And also hide it from everyone else for so long. Listen, Sakura, she was my sister and I love her, and I've always known she wasn't perfect, she made mistakes just like me and everyone else, but it's obvious that, if all that man told you is true, she and your father... they were more wrong than anyone ever suspected."

Sakura couldn't deny that, so she nodded, and then said, "I know. I agree. They messed up big time. But... they were in love, weren't they? And, I know it must sound cheesy, but if there was love, then I don't think it was entirely wrong." She wasn't defending her parents; she was just giving her honest, reasonable opinion. "Also," she continued, staring at her lap, "that man, the vampire tracker, remember he said something about my parents having a valid reason to have me? I think there's something none of us knows yet, that can change the way we think about my parents."

"Maybe," Inoichi said. "He also said something about you having a big purpose, correct?"

Sakura nodded. "He said he didn't have time to explain more about it, but he said I would find out soon enough. It seems it's some kind of... _power _that I have for being a unique half-breed." Suddenly, she realized something and smiled bitterly. "You know? It's funny. I'm not a normal vampire, not a normal human, and not a normal half-breed either. I'm totally different. That's supposed to be kind of cool, right? Well, it isn't... at all."

Shizune, who sat beside her, took her hand and squeezed it. The gesture eased Sakura's emotiones a little. _At least I'm not completely alone in this_, she thought.

"A power...?" Ino said thoughtfully, and then turned to her father. "Dad, maybe he was talking about her gift."

Inoichi nodded. "We came here exactly to talk about that, your gift," he told Sakura. "As I'm sure Ino already told you, almost all vampires have a gift, some kind of special ability or power. I can force the truth out of people, for example, and Ino can hear things from the future."

"It's really painful to use my gift, though," the blonde said. "Some gifts aren't easy to use, or very helpful, but they're still gifts, and it's always nice to not be gift-less."

"We want to know if you have a gift or not, Sakura," the man continued. "Since you're a half-breed, we're not certain at all. But now, after what's happened and what that vampire tracker told you, we think you do have one – a very powerful and dangerous one. It seems like the vampire hunters know what it is. We should know too."

"_I _should know too," Sakura said. "Dammit, other people seem to know me better than I know myself."

"You can change that just by trying," Inoichi said. "However, you can do that later. Right now I believe staying in this house is a bad idea."

"What? Why?" Shizune asked concernedly.

"Because even though the tracker assured he wouldn't tell the others about this location, we cannot trust him; we don't even know him. And in case he didn't lie about it, what if they force the truth out of him or saw him head towards this house?"

"You're right," Ino said, standing up from the couch. "We have to leave, and as soon as possible."

"Shizune, you must come with us," Inoichi said, rising to his feet. "It's not safe for you to stay here alone."

"Okay," the brunette said, a bit frightened. "But where are we going?"

"To the safest place I can think of: the Uchiha mansion."

* * *

><p>The Uchihas showed more interest than Sakura ever imagined they would. They were worried for her, totally willing to help and perhaps even afraid. They were all afraid, in fact. She wasn't the only one, although her fear was obviously the most intense. It was her life on danger, after all, not theirs.<p>

Even Itachi and Sasuke were there, listening to the adults' conversation. Itachi made a few comments, proposed a couple of ideas, and Sakura was amazed by how practical and smart he was. She didn't know him very well, but he seemed someone very interesting to talk to. It was too bad she was always busy worrying about her safety to take some time to know the people around her better.

Sasuke didn't speak as much as his brother. He just stood there silently, with his arms folded across his chest, and made a question every now and then. Other than that, he just stared at the ground thoughtfully, probably not even paying attention to what the others said most of the time. Sakura found herself glancing at him every five seconds. It was like an impulse, a guilty impulse. She liked seeing him there, not acting disdainful for once and actually _caring_ for her – and the way that made her feel was so, so wrong.

Ino was seated besides Sakura on the small couch in the corner of Fugaku's office while the others stood in a circle in front of the big wooden desk. The blonde patted Sakura's back as if she were sure that made everything a bit less hard for her. The action was kind of bothersome, actually, but the half-breed didn't dare to shake her cousin off. Ino was just trying to be nice and supportive, after all, and she appreciated that a lot.

"She cannot stay here for much longer," Mikoto was saying, grimacing in pain as if the realization made her heart ache. "It's dangerous. They already know she's alive, in this city. It's only a matter of time before they find out more information about her. And when they do, they'll come get her and then-" She cut herself off and shook her head. "We need to send her away, hide her at least until this madness is over or we convince them that she's not alive."

"But where would we send her?" Inoichi asked. "And how? We cannot take her to an airport, because it would be risky if the hunters found out. What if they try to make the plane crash? We would be putting many human lives at risk. Also, which place would be a perfect hiding spot?"

"Anywhere but here," Mikoto replied anxiously. "I don't know, Australia? Europe? Even America! Perhaps Alaska... But you're right, Inoichi. We need to find the perfect place, get a private jet or something of the sort, and be really, really careful. We must keep our guards up all the time."

"I agree in all that," Fugaku said, and then his dark eyes fixed directly on Sakura. "But we're forgetting something: Sakura is the one that will decide what to do in the end. It's her life, her choices. We cannot decide for her. What do you want, Sakura? What do you think about all this?"

Sakura licked her lips, nervous now that everyone, including Sasuke, was looking expectantly at her. No one had paid much attention to her since they arrived. They only listened to her tell them exactly what had happened with the vampire tracker, and then they'd started discussing the situation, leaving her aside. Sakura hadn't minded. She had actually been glad to not have to deal with all that, like a little kid that didn't have to order her own food in a restaurant because her mother spoke to the waitress for her.

But now they wanted to know her opinion. The only problem with that was that she didn't know what to tell them. They wanted to know what she wanted, but all she wanted was to be normal, free, like anyone else, and to not have such a big burden in her life, but that was impossible. Other than that, she she had no idea of what to do with her life. She felt lost, helpless, powerless, and she couldn't come up with any solutions. She was clueless about the situation, even though her life literally depended on it.

"I suppose you're right," she finally answered. "They will find me sooner or later. They might even be on their way right now. Besides, I'm putting you guys in danger being here with you. I have to get away so that no one else gets hurt."

"Sakura, that's not what really matters here," Mikoto said. "We can take care of ourselves. But you... honey, your instincts have barely awoken. You're practically a mere human, since you still don't know how to control your vampire half. The tracker said you were powerful and dangerous, but I can't see how that is possible. A half-breed cannot be stronger than a full vampire; it doesn't make any sense."

"He also said I wasn't a normal half-breed," the pink haired girl murmured.

"Maybe that's true," Itachi told the adults. "If her father really was a vampire hunter, then her human half is scientifically modified and her genes are different from any other being that's ever existed."

Mikoto sighed deeply, staring at the ground sadly. "I still cannot believe he was a vampire hunter... and a Haruno, for God's sake. How did we not recognize the name? We should have!"

"The Haruno vampire hunter clan is very ancient," Inoichi replied, grief and anger clouding his blue gaze. "There are very few members left, and its fame has been left in the past. I know them because I read about them in a book many years ago. My memory didn't recall the information instantly when I first met Sakura's father; although the last name sounded familiar, I couldn't remember where I'd heard it from. Besides, we'd been to busy worrying about the fact that he was a human and my sister was in love with him."

Sakura closed her eyes briefly. She still couldn't believe the magnitude of her parents' foolishness. Being a vampire and in love with a human was a bad thing. Being a vampire about to have a child with a human was a _worse_ thing. But if your human mate was actually a hunter of your kind and you never told anyone, that was even worst.

How could they? How dared they? Sakura felt ashamed of them, and horrified at their mistakes. _If only I'd had different, better parents, _she thought angrily,_ none of this would be happening, and I'd be normal... and _happy_._

_They died, abandoned me, made me miserable. And now, years after their deaths, they're still screwing my life up._

She was about to burst out crying, and she didn't want to be seen and pitied any more, so she stood up, covered her mouth to muffle her sobs, and ran out of the room.

* * *

><p>Sasuke watched Sakura from the window of his father's office. She was sitting on the bright green grass in the backyard, hugging her knees to her chest, under the warm midday sunlight. Her shoulders shook violently; she was obviously crying, and desperately. For some strange reason, he wished she would stop. It bothered him to see her like that. He wanted her to be okay, smiling like she always did. It annoyed him to know there was nothing he could do to fix her.<p>

"Relax, Ino," Inoichi was telling his daughter, who still sat on the couch looking distressed and anxious. "She just needs some time alone to let it all out."

"I should be with her, comforting her," the blonde said softly. "She needs me."

"There comes a point in which one doesn't need to be comforted, but to be left alone with one's own thoughts," Mikoto mused. "I think Sakura has come to that point already. We must let her be."

For a long moment, everyone in the room remained silent. The quiet wasn't uncomfortable; it was just a space of time to think, wonder and plan.

At last, the silence was broken by Itachi. "So what do we do now? Wait for Sakura to make a decision?"

"I suppose so," Mikoto said worriedly. "But I think that, in spite of what she decides, we should train her so that she won't be so defenseless."

"I think that's a good idea," Inoichi said, nodding. "Before she leaves ,_ if_ she decides to leave, she has to be capable of fighting and taking care of herself."

Sasuke realized there was nothing else to discuss or know now, so he decided to leave. Wordlessly, he exited the room, closing the door behind him, and then walked quickly up the stairs.

Once in his bedroom, he slumped into his bed, tucked a pillow under his head, and stared at the white, clean ceiling of his room with his eyebrows pulled together, thinking.

Since the first time he met her, when she randomly passed out, he knew Sakura Haruno would be a burden. Sasuke honestly wished she'd never appeared in his life. She'd done nothing but complicate things for his family and, therefore, for him. She had no right to disturb them like that; she was a nobody, not even part of their clan, or even of their kind. She'd just suddenly arrived and started slowly pulling them into the mess her life was. The worst thing was that Sasuke's parents actually allowed the half-breed to do that, and they were willing to put up with all the bother. Why? He didn't know. The only thing he knew was that he was sick of it, and that he wished she would be sent away soon.

However, Sasuke could not deny he felt very sorry for her. It was not her fault to be what she was or to have such a complicated life. He knew she wished to be someone else... or maybe she even wished she would have never been born. In her place, Sasuke would wish that. Living a life like that, always having to watch your back and to put up with discrimination and a dark past, didn't sound appealing or enjoyable at all, after all.

Nobody deserved a life like Sakura's, and it was a real shame, actually, that a girl like her had to go through all that crap. She wasn't a bad person, Sasuke knew. She was clumsy and kind of awkward, yes, but in spite of everything, she was nice, polite, gentle and even pretty. If she weren't so abnormal, he would like her a lot.

_Hold on. Did I really just think that?_

Sasuke rolled on his side and buried his face into the pillow. Behind his closed eyelids, among that blackness covered with mysterious little dots of light, all he could see was the half-breed's face; her wide forehead, her soft pink hair, her bright green eyes, and her beautiful – yes, he admitted it: it_ was _quite beautiful – smile. He remembered the sweet sound of her voice, the way she licked her lips when she was nervous, the little twitch in her right eye when she was uncomfortable. How could his memories of her be so vivid and clear? Had he been paying more attention than he'd thought he paid?

At least now he knew why it had bothered him so much to see her crying. When you like someone, even if you're not supposed to because that someone is definitely nor for you, you want to see them happy, or so he'd been told many times. Perhaps that was what was happening right now: he was starting to like the half-breed, and he didn't want her to be hurt.

_Oh shit, no!_

This was very wrong. Sasuke couldn't like any girl in that way. He was doomed to marry Hinata Hyuga, so falling for someone else would only cause pain. And if that someone else was Sakura – a half-breed vampire, wanted dead by the vampire hunters, an illegal being, not supposed to exist, more abnormal than anyone ever imagined – it was even worse; it was the _worst_ thing he ever could do.

Suddenly, stupidly, he wished he weren't engaged. Also, he wished Sakura were a full, totally normal vampire like him. Maybe that way his thoughts of her wouldn't make him feel so guilty. Maybe that way they would have a chance to be together, because their being a couple wouldn't be seen as something horribly incorrect.

But wishing did nothing. Things would stay the way they were, even if Sasuke liked it or not. He would marry Hinata next year, build an unhappy but perfectly safe life with her, have children like he was expected to, and then wait impatiently for the day of his death. Sakura would be away from him, hiding from the vampire hunters... or maybe she would get killed soon, and become nothing but a distant memory to him.

His thoughts were squeezing his brain, cruelly torturing it, and he couldn't take it anymore. He got off the bed, exited his bedroom, and hurried down the stairs. He needed some fresh air to clear his mind and stop the flood of emotions within him.

* * *

><p>Unconsciously, but definitely on purpose, Sasuke ended up in the backyard standing only a few feet behind Sakura, who still sat in the same position, but wasn't crying anymore. He stood immobile for several moments, watching the way the sun beamed down at Sakura making her blonde hair roots shine. He wasn't sure of what he was doing there. He shouldn't be there, with her, about to say or do something he would regret later.<p>

In that moment, Sasuke realized for the first time that he could choose only between two paths. The first one was the safest, and it would lead him to a boring, frustrating life that would satisfy everyone but him, but choosing it was the correct thing to do. The second one was the most dangerous and it would probably get him killed, either physically or emotionally, and if he chose it, everyone would be horrified, even himself. He had to make a decision: please everyone and be safe but unhappy, or take the risk and do and be what he really wanted in spite of what everybody else would think of him?

It took him only five seconds, exactly, to make a choice.

* * *

><p>At first, she thought the person walking towards her was Ino, and she clenched her fists angrily. It was nice that she cared and everything, but for once, at least this one time, Sakura wanted to be left alone. Why couldn't they understand?<p>

But when she glanced sideways at the person who was now sitting next to her_, _her stomach sank with shock. It wasn't Ino: it was _Sasuke_ who sat cross-legged at her right, watching calmly the clear blue sky above them.

Sakura needed a few moments to understand the situation. Once she did, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Her mind was spinning, filled with doubts and fears, and making her heart hammer in her chest. She suddenly wanted to hide, because she knew she looked hideous with her bloodshot eyes and messy hair, and she didn't want him to see her like that, so vulnerable and... _weak_.

What did she do now? Should she tell him to go away and leave her alone, or just ignore his presence until he got tired and left...?

"You must hate me," she heard herself say lowly as she gazed at the horizon. At first, she was startled by her shameless straight-forwardness, but then, she was surprised by how much she meant her words. She really did think he hated her, and she wouldn't blame him if he did. She kind of hated herself, anyway.

Sasuke took a few moments to reply. "Probably," he said finally, making her heart shrink. She cared so much about his opinion... and that was so, so incorrect! "But actually, I don't," he continued. "I know I should, but somehow, I just don't."

"Really?" she questioned disbelievingly. "Why?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I don't exactly like you very much, but... I just can't hate someone who has gone through so much shit in such a short period of time."

"So you pity me?"

From the corner of her eye, she saw him turn his head towards her. Impulsively, she turned to look at him too. They were sitting only a few inches apart, so close that if she leaned in a little, their shoulders would touch. She'd never been so near him before, but she didn't dislike it. It was actually nice to feel him next to her, fill her nostrils with his smell of soap, and to be able to see the almost unnoticeable pupils in his dark brown eyes and the tiny mole on his left cheekbone up close. "It would be bad if I didn't," he said, the right corner of his lips twitching upward slightly.

"Good point," Sakura said, willing herself to look back at the horizon.

"Besides, you're not a bad person."

She smiled lightly. "Thanks. I'm glad someone cares more about who I am than about what I am." Those words reminded her of what Mikoto had told her: _Always remember _who_ you are, not _what_ you are, even if others do not. _That sentence had helped her a lot, and she kept it safe in her heart like a very precious thing.

What she didn't know was that those words would also change Sasuke's perspective of reality a lot and made him feel more sure about the path he'd decided to choose. In the end, it would seem like Mikoto advised them both.

* * *

><p><span>Notes<span>: I'm trying really hard to update quickly, but I only have time to write at night, and I have to edit each chapter and stuff, so I'm sorry if I'm not fast enough; I know how it feels like to have to wait too long to know what happens next. :( Anyway, here's a really long chapter to make it up to you, wonderful reader. Thank you for the support; it means a lot to me. Keep reviewing, pleeeease. :)


	27. The visit

**Chapter twenty six**

_The visit_

The sun had gone down, hiding behind the horizon. A black, infinite blanket dotted with stars covered the sky now, and the moon, a big circle of hypnotic silver light, hovered up high. The day was over, letting night in, and with it, rest, peace and quiet for everyone.

For Sakura, who lay on her bed watching the moon through her window (which she'd already secured, just in case), that night was not restful or peaceful at all. It _was_ quiet, but it wasn't the kind of still, comfortable silence that lulled one to sleep; it was actually the kind of silence that drove people crazy: an exasperating, frightening lack of noise that fed a desperate person's dark thoughts of insanity.

Was she losing her mind? It seemed very possible. She did have reasons to lose it, after all. And she could, if she really wanted to; she just had to let go of everything – of reality, of the people around her, of her responsibilities, of her doubts and fears, and even of _herself – and _simply drift away, forget.

Why didn't she do it then, if it seemed so easy? Wouldn't it be better to give in to insanity? Perhaps that way she wouldn't feel so much pain and sorrow. Perhaps that way all her problems would vanish.

Or perhaps not. Insanity might dull pain, but it doesn't guarantee happiness.

Her situation was not good and she was completely aware of it; that was why she was terrified and having such weird thoughts. Although her life had never been easy or fully joyful because she'd had to deal with many harsh things in the past – like with being an orphan while all the other kids had both of their parents alive and looking out for them, for example – none of those things had been as horrible as the things she was going through currently. Her life used to be very uncomplicated and satisfying compared to how it was right now.

But what sadened her the most was that, even though she was already eighteen years old, it seemed like she was still the same sensible, stupid and puny girl she had always been, as if she hadn't changed at all through the years. Deep inside, she was still the tormented, dependent little child that had lost her parents at a very young age, not the strong, wise and mature young woman she was supposed to be.

Sakura was weak – so, so weak, and foolish, and doubtful, and unprepared. She couldn't believe someone like her had awesome powers and a great purpose in life. The vampire tracker must have mistaken her for someone else or something, because Sakura was definitely not a heroine. Heroines were perfect, brave and powerful; she was insecure, plain and clumsy. Besides, how would she save other people, if she couldn't even save herself?

However, she still had confirm what kind of purpose and powers she had, no matter how much she disbelieved or wanted to stop thinking about all that. That was the reason why she'd agreed with Inoichi's plan: stay hidden, get trained, discover her powers, find out more about what the vampire tracker had said, and then flee the country. Sakura still didn't know what would happen once she got away, _if _she got away, but she didn't want to think too hard about it; the uncertainty frightened her unnecessarily.

The pressure was building up, and she knew that soon she wouldn't stand it anymore. The only thing she could do to fix it was ceasing to exist – _dying_. Death would definitely ease her troubled mind. She knew it was a stupid idea, but deep in her heart, she also knew she was just being honest with herself.

Sakura had to, needed to, and even kind of wanted to die. But she wouldn't die, at least not now, or if the vampire hunters didn't find her. She would go on with her life, try to stay calm, safe and focused, and let smarter people tell her what to do.

She wasn't strong, but she could at least try to be less weak.

* * *

><p>Sakura quit her job as a maid, but not exactly voluntarily, of course. Mikoto had told her it was the best thing to do, and that if she didn't quit, she would be fired then. Sakura had been hurt and confused, and even a little furious. She wanted to keep earning her own money to help Shizune with the hospital bills for Tsunade. But she hadn't complained any longer because of something Inoichi had told her.<p>

"You'll be leaving the country soon, anyway," he'd said gently, staring right into her eyes. "You'll live somewhere else, and there you'll be able to find another job. You can send Shizune and Tsunade some of the money you earn there, if you want to. But that will happen later. For now, what is important is that you stay focused on training so that you can escape and be safe."

Sakura had bowed her head and kept her mouth shut, silently giving in. Mikoto was already looking for her replacement.

However, she hadn't been so submissive when she was told there was something else she had to do: move to the Uchiha mansion.

"Your house is not safe, Sakura!" Ino had exclaimed when the half-breed finally got tired of saying 'no' so many times. "Shizune will have to move here, too. If the vampire tracker could find you, you know there's a good chance he'll tell someone else, or that they will force the truth out of him, or that another good vampire tracker will find you. You _can't_ stay there."

Deep inside she had known Ino was right. Still, she had shaken her head. "You don't understand," she'd said, anxiously pacing around Fugaku's office. "If I stay here, I'll put the Uchihas in danger. I mean, if the hunters find me here, they'll be blamed for protecting me, and maybe even _killed_ if they get in the way." She had taken a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I'm not safe _anywhere_. I should just... just..."_ Die._ "I should just leave already."

"You're not prepared yet," Mikoto had said softly, stepping towards her. "Please, Sakura. Don't go back to your house. This place is safer than any other. No one will suspect about our clan."

"Why are you so sure about that?" she'd questioned lowly.

"Because the Uchihas have never been very close to the Yamanakas, so no one would think we're helping you. I was close to your mother, yes, but that was just an exception. Besides, nobody knows just how close we really were; nobody knows she turned to me when she was pregnant. Also, we're a strong clan. Do you really think we would let vampire hunters defeat us so easily?"

"I don't know," the half-breed had muttered, grimacing as if the indecision made her brain hurt.

"Come on, Saks," Ino had said. "You know it's the best alternative."

At last, with great reluctance, Sakura had agreed to move. It was just for a couple of months, anyway. Besides, she would try to bother them as less as possible: she would prepare her own meals, tidy her room herself, wash her clothes with her own hands, and use as less electricity and water as she could. She would be like a very discreet lodger, or a visiting ghost.

The only thing that really worried her about living with the Uchihas, actually, was sharing the same house with Sasuke. She was shocked at how much she was starting to like him, at how the mere sight of him made her insides squirm, her skin burn and her heart hammer, and she feared that living with him would make her fall in love. Falling in love with him would be like suicide of her soul.

* * *

><p>Shizune and Sakura moved to the Uchiha mansion as soon as possible: on Monday morning. They packed their things up, put them in Shizune's car, made sure that Tsunade's house was perfectly locked, and then drove to the mansion as the sun rose lazily into the pale blue sky overhead. Both of them were still tired and sleepy after yesterday's events, but a mug of good coffee kept their eyes open and their minds alert enough.<p>

Once in the mansion, the Uchihas received them warmly. Fugaku assured them they would be treated as their most important guests ever; Mikoto was all smiles and hugs; Itachi welcomed them politely and made Shizune blush when he kissed her hand as a greeting; Sasuke was there too, up so early only for them, and although he hadn't said a word or even cracked a small smile, his presence was enough to make Sakura feel both excited and nervous about the next couple of months she would live in the mansion.

Mikoto guided them to the second floor, where the guest rooms where. She'd ordered the maids to prepare the two rooms at the end of the hall. Shizune chose the one at the right, and Sakura was okay with staying at the one across from her adoptive cousin's. Mikoto left then, giving them time to get installed and reminding them for the second time that lunch would be served at midday.

At ten, Shizune left to school. They were both perfectly installed in their rooms by then.

Sakura took a glance around her room. She had brought with her only most of her clothes and shoes, a few of her favorite books, her diary, some personal hygiene products, and photographs that would remind her of her past no matter where she went. The furniture had been stacked with those belongings, and the familiarity of the objects made her feel more comfortable. She thought she could get used to sleeping there every night, but she knew she would have no time to get accustomed to anything, because she would be gone soon.

* * *

><p>Itachi and Kakashi volunteered to train her in the afternoons. Sakura was grateful, but also very embarrassed. She hated to be a burden to people, even if they denied she was a bother because they were too polite. It was a very nice feeling to know people liked you enough to make small sacrifices for you, but it made her feel dependent and pitiful, and even though she <em>was <em>dependent and pitiful, she didn't like to make it so obvious.

However, there were no words in the world that could convince the two vampires of not wasting their time with her. They _wanted_ to train her, and were slightly excited to do it, even. Kakashi seemed obsessed with Sakura's nature and was enthusiastically doing a lot of research; he would focus on training her mental abilities, and on finding out what her gift was. Itachi, who appeared to have a thing for sports, would focus on her vampire instincts and her on her physical strength.

That was another reason why Sakura didn't enjoy the idea of being trained: because training meant physical effort, something she wasn't very good at making. She had always sucked at doing exercise and at sports; she was too graceless and fragile.

The physical training commenced that same day she moved, a couple of hours after lunch, in the backyard. Itachi realized what she'd meant when she'd warned him she was "kind of feeble" as soon as they were started.

"Is that the best you can do?" he asked, clearly amused, as he lowered his hands. She'd been trying to punch her palms with all her strength, and ended up seeming pathetically weak.

"Don't make fun of me," she mumbled, crossing her arms and frowning at the grass beneath her feet as heat crawled up her neck. "I told you I sucked at fighting and that kind of stuff."

He sighed, still amused. "Well, you're a girl, and inexperienced – and practically human right now, too. So don't worry, it's normal for you."

"What do you mean with 'practically human'?" Sakura questioned, puzzled.

"That your vampire instincts are – how can I say it – _off _at this moment," the young man replied. "You have felt what it's like when they're on, because you've been thirsty before, haven't you? It feels just like that: you're more alert, your senses sharpen, your muscles tense painfully, your mind is fuzzy but the world looks in high definition, you suddenly move more quickly and stealthier..." Sakura nodded, remembering that feeling all too well. "Well, it's just like that. I suppose it might be a bit less intense for you than it is for full vampires, since you're a half-breed, but it should be enough."

"Okay... But how do I get them on? Do I have to stop drinking blood to get thirsty again or what?"

Itachi thought for a moment. "There are only two ways," he said at last. "Starve yourself, like you said, or have a really strong emotion like anger, fear or excitement do the job. With time, you can learn to control it and you'll be able to just turn it on and off whenever you want, but of course, that will take lots of practice."

"So right now I need a strong emotion," she understood. But which emotion, she wondered, and how would she cause it? She couldn't just order herself to feel certain way. How would she get angry if nothing angered her, or frightened if nothing scared her? Was it possible to anger or scare herself if she just focused?

"Exactly," Itachi said, and then he randomly burst out laughing. Perplexed, Sakura waited for him to stop, and when he did, before she could ask him what had been so funny, he exclaimed, "I'm sorry, but I just noticed your forehead is huge!"

The comment was like a slap across the face: surprising and hurtful. She took a step back unconsciously.

"Oh, and now that we're getting honest, your hair is ridiculous," he continued, still grinning sardonically. "Do you really think pink looks cool? You look like a freak, Sakura. You should work in a circus instead; they would pay you millions because you're just so weird."

"Why are you telling me all this?" she asked, cursing herself for sounding so hurt and frightened.

His humor vanished unexpectedly. He stared at her for a long moment, sighed, and shook his head. "I meant to anger you, not to hurt you," he said unhappily. "It seems like it didn't work. I apologize. I didn't really mean to offend you."

"It's okay," Sakura said. She was relieved he hadn't mean it, but suddenly she felt very insecure about her forehead and her hair. She hoped he didn't notice it. "Don't worry."

"Anyways," he mumbled, brushing a dark lock of hair off his forehead, "we can work that out later. For now I think we should focus on your physical strength. You're a bit too skinny, so maybe you should eat more proteins, and also do more exercise, to get stronger. I'll take care about that. I will look up a perfect diet for you, and then we can practice those punches... Is that alright for you?"

Sakura smiled lightly and took a deep, long breath, filling her lungs with fresh air that relaxed her insides. "It's perfect. Let's move on."

* * *

><p>From the window of Sakura's new room, Ino watched her cousin train with Itachi. The pink haired girl was running laps around the backyard while Itachi yelled things at her, probably to encourage her. Ino could see, even from that distance, that Sakura was already tired and getting more and more annoyed with each new lap she was told to run. In her place, the blonde would also feel in hell. Ino was in shape because she did work out – a girl had to stay fit if she wanted to feel beautiful and make boys like her, after all – but that didn't mean she liked to sweat and smell.<p>

_Work-out should be for guys only, _she though grumpily,turning away from the window._ Women should be naturally beautiful and never get fat no matter how much they ate. That way, everyone would be totally happy._

She sat on the edge of the bed and sighed heavily. She was very sleepy. Yesterday, with the whole vampire-tracker thing, she and her father had gotten home almost at midnight. She'd taken a shower and gone to bed immediately, but although she had been completely exhausted after worrying, thinking and wondering so much, she'd lay awake in bed for a few hours, her mind restless, her thoughts racing, her doubts increasing, and her fear growing. She hadn't been able to get Sakura off her mind, and when she'd finally fallen asleep, she'd even dreamed of her. In the dream, Sakura had been running away, terrified, and Ino had tried to scream her name and make her stop, but the half-breed had kept running, totally ignoring her.

Sighing once again, Ino leaned backwards until her back hit the mattress. She stared at the ceiling with a drained expression, and wondered if her dream would become real some day, if she would be forced to watch her cousin desperately run away and be unable to help her.

"What are you doing here?"

Abruptly, Ino sat upright. Sasuke was leaning against the door frame, watching her with a raised eyebrow, and she stared at him with surprise.

Quickly, she put her cool facade back on. "I was just checking if Sakura was well installed," she said bluntly, avoiding eye contact. Somehow, looking into Sasuke's gaze made her feel nervous, and she didn't like it. "What are _you_ doing here?"

"I _live_ here. And I sensed someone in this room, so I came to check." He narrowed his eyes a little. "You look... tired."

She couldn't help but look at him then. He looked kind of tired too, she realized, but surely not as much as she probably did. "Wow, you are so observant, oh my God," she said sarcastically.

"It's kind of logical that you're tired. I mean, after everything that happened yesterday with the half-breed, you probably didn't get much sleep."

"Sakura," Ino corrected, annoyed, as she stood up. "Her name's Sakura, not 'the half-breed'."

Something flashed in his dark eyes. It was almost unnoticeable, but Ino always paid a lot of attention to people's faces – especially if those faces were pretty, like Sasuke's – so she did see it. She didn't have time to identify what emotions stirred within him, though, because he quickly forced his face back to blank-and-unreadable. "Right," he mumbled, looking away. "Sakura. Sorry."

Ino rolled her blue eyes, deciding to ignore whatever was going on with the Uchiha. It wasn't as if she really cared. "Whatever. But yeah, you're right, I_ am_ really tired. I worried a lot. How could I not? Your mom must be very tired, too. She seemed very upset about the whole thing... I think she cares about Sakura a lot."

"I think so too," he admitted. "But I can't blame her. It's hard not to care..." He cut himself off and blinked rapidly. Ino thought his cheeks turned pinker – or was she so tired she was imagining stuff? "I mean," he continued in a rush, looking away again, "it's like seeing a street dog getting wet under the rain: you sort of care and you even worry a little, because you pity it, but you know you can't help it because it's a great responsibility and maybe you don't even have the time. Still, you kind of care. Some people are too nice, though, and they would do anything to help the dog. My mom's just one of those people."

"Don't compare my cousin to a dog," Ino murmured angrily, brushing past him as she stepped out of the room. Guiltily, she realized she liked being near him. He was warm and he smelled really good. If only he weren't such a jerk – such a forcefully-_engaged_ jerk – she would definitely try to be that close to him more often.

"It was just a metaphor," Sasuke murmured as she walked down the hall. He wasn't following, she realized, and that made her feel a bit disappointed. She kind of wanted to keep talking to him.

_What the hell is wrong with you, _she asked herself mentally, clenching her jaw, as she hurried down the stairs._ Why do you want to talk to him? He's _Sasuke_, for God's sake – _Sasuke_. You hate him. He's an asshole. He's Hinata's fianceé. You don't give a damn about him. You don't like him – especially not in _that _way. Get real, Ino Yamanaka!_

Ino had come with her father to check how Sakura was doing. They'd arrived only a few minutes ago. It was three in the afternoon and Ino wanted to go home and take a long nap, but her father seemed to have a lot to discuss with the Uchihas, so she would have to wait some more. Besides, Sakura was busy training, and Ino didn't want to leave without talking to her. What a bothersome situation.

"Temari, Itachi's fianceé, arrives tomorrow morning," Mikoto was saying as Ino walked towards them. "Since she's going to be my daughter-in-law soon and I really do trust her a lot, I think we can let her know about what Sakura really is."

"I'm not sure, Mikoto," Inoichi replied hesitantly. "I think the less people knows, the better. Your husband and sons know; my wife and daughter know; Kakashi knows; Minato's son knows. I believe nine people is enough."

"One more wouldn't hurt," the woman said. "And it's not just anybody. Temari is an excellent person. I've known her since she was a little kid."

"I know her too," Ino said, joining the conversation. "And I think we can trust her, Dad. I used to be friends with her before I had to change schools to be in the same high school as Sakura. Besides, she's going to become an Uchiha soon, and as part of the family, she would support us as well, right?"

Inoichi scratched his chin, thinking. Finally, he nodded. "Alright. Perhaps she can even help Itachi train Sakura."

Mikoto smiled. "I think she will be eager to do that. What she and my son have in common is that they both like sports a lot."

Ino's father didn't seem very enthusiastic yet. He ran a hand through his blond hair. "If you say so. But please, Mikoto, I think no one else should know. Ten people are definitely more than enough."

In that moment, Sakura and Itachi walked into the entrance hall. The vampire looked completely normal except for the fact that he was wearing pants and a simple dark shirt instead of his usual semi-formal outfit. Sakura, however, was a mess: she was sweating so much her hair was completely wet, and her face was flushed. Suddenly, Ino had the sudden urge to hug her tightly. _She's putting so much effort on this!_

"Oh, wow!" Mikoto said, smiling happily. "Seems like you're a very good trainer, Itachi! How are you feeling, Sakura?"

The girl shrugged and started re-doing her ponytail. "I'm just tired, and thirsty – of water, I mean. I already fed at lunch. I'm starting to get used to drinking blood daily, actually. It's not so gross anymore."

"See? You just had to get used to it," Ino said proudly, stepping towards her. She raised her eyebrows at her cousin's damp clothes and smiled. "You should take a shower."

Sakura smiled back and rolled her eyes. "I know. I was just about to go upstairs and take it. But before..." She turned to Inoichi. "I wanted to ask you if you could, um, take me to the hospital. I want to see my aunt. I haven't visited her in a really long time, and I want to talk to her – you know, even if she probably doesn't hear me. I just feel like I have to tell her everything. I also want to know how she's doing, if there has been any progress. Shizune goes every three days, but I think it's my turn to go now."

Inoichi blinked, as if the petition confused him, and then nodded quickly. "Of course I'll take you, Sakura. You don't even have to ask. Just tell me when you want to go, and I'll give you a ride."

She smiled lightly. "Okay. Thanks. We can leave right after I shower, so I think I better hurry..."

"I'll go with you," Ino said, grabbing her arm and happily dragging her towards the stairs.

Sakura thanked Itachi for the training over her shoulder as she was pulled up the stairs. Then, she told Ino, "You don't have to come. I won't take long."

"Aw, come on! We need some privacy; we have a lot to talk about. I'm your cousin _and_ your best friend, remember?"

"Well, yeah, of course I remember..."

The blonde grinned. "Then let's go. Besides, I feel like picking your outfit."

* * *

><p>"So, you're really okay?"<p>

The half-breed pulled the corners of her lips into what she hoped was a sincere smile. Ino was good at reading people's faces, and Sakura didn't want her to notice she was forcing herself to look happy and confident.

"Yeah, really. Of course this has been hard and everything, but I want to go on with my life. I just have to deal with this and then, in the future, I'll have time to rest and go back to my routine – well, a new routine, actually. Nothing's ever gonna be the same... but that's okay, I guess. Life is about changes."

The blonde smiled back softly. "I'm glad you think that way. Honestly, if I were you, I would be like super depressed and angry... but you're fine. I admire you for that. It seems like you're stronger than I am."

_If only you knew_, Sakura thought, but she kept the smile in place. "I'm just practical," she said.

But Ino couldn't know the truth: that Sakura was losing hope and faith in herself by every second that went by; that she was terrified, and that the only thing she was certain of was that someone like her – someone so weak and foolish – couldn't handle this kind of situation for much longer. Sooner or later, Sakura would give up, but only until that moment came, Ino or anyone else couldn't know what was going on inside her head and heart.

She continued doing her hair as Ino blabbered casually, freely, carelessly. Sakura envied the blonde. Her life was so perfect, had always been. She used to be the girl with the perfect looks, the one everyone liked and wanted to be friends with, the one with the rich parents and huge house. Now she was all that _plus_ the vampire heiress of one of the most powerful clans in the country. Her life was better, easier than Sakura ever suspected. Her only real worry was not letting humans find out about her nature.

Full vampires had it so easy. Half breeds were definitely the unlucky ones.

That was why Sakura couldn't trust Ino with her real thoughts, even when she was, indeed, her cousin and her closest friend. Ino would never understand, and when people didn't understand someone, they judged or – even worse – pitied them. Sakura could only speak about her feelings with someone that knew what it was like to be so frightened all the time, so trapped in a messed-up world. There was no one around her like that.

Only Tsunade would understand, Sakura realized, even if she weren't or had never experienced the same thing in her life. Tsunade was that kind of person: she understood, somehow, how you were feeling, even if you thought she wouldn't. She was in a comma now, but Sakura could still talk to her. She _needed _to talk to her. That was mainly why she was, finally, going to visit her.

* * *

><p>Tsunade lay on her bed, as pale, emotionless and beautiful as Sakura remembered her. The girl had feared her aunt would look sick or old or dead after all this time, but thankfully, she didn't. Hope sparkled within Sakura, small but bright. The thought of seeing her aunt awake, smiling, hugging her again, made her heart ache with joy.<p>

Sakura glanced behind her, at Inoichi and Ino. They were watching her hesitate. She wondered if they cared about Tsunade as much as she did, if they were as grief-stricken as her. They were Tsunade's family as well, weren't they? They didn't seem to be very upset, but who knew? Maybe deep inside, they were also sad. Maybe when they heard the terrible news, more than two months ago, they broke down crying too.

The half-breed glanced back at her aunt and slowly stepped towards the chair beside the bed. She sat down and instinctively reached for the blonde woman's hand. The hand's skin was cold and hard, almost like an ice cube's surface. Sakura warmed it between her two trembling hands.

Suddenly, the door was closed softly. Inoichi and Ino were giving her privacy, and Sakura thanked them mentally. She needed this moment alone with her comatose aunt, and she didn't want anyone to hear what she was about to say. Only Tsunade could know; only Tsunade would understand.

Sakura took a deep breath. The air eased her lungs and her heart. Looking directly at her aunt's face, at the closed eyes and the relaxed lips and the pointy nose, she started talking.

"Hi, auntie... I've missed you a lot. I'm sorry I haven't come in a very long time. I used to come every week, at least, and talk to you. I should have kept doing that, but... many things have happened since the last time I came here. I can't even remember the last thing I told you. I think it was about my decision of looking for a job..." She smirked bitterly. "My God, that moment seems so, so far away – _centuries_ away. I used to be so different back then. I kind of miss those times."

Again, Sakura sighed. She organized the racing thoughts in her mind, and then continued softly. "I know the truth now. I know that vampires, werewolves and wizards exist, that I'm a half-breed vampire, that I'm not supposed to exist, that my parents were murdered by an Uchiha and died protecting me, that Ino is my cousin and also a vampire, and that you are_ really_ my aunt and a vampire too. But I'm not mad at you for hiding all those truths for so long, because in your place, I would've done the same thing. I wouldn't have wanted my young, innocent niece to grow up haunted and afraid.

"I also know that my father wasn't a normal human: he was a vampire hunter, or at least he was from a clan of vampire hunters – I don't know if he really killed vampires; I'm not certain about his past. I'm not certain about _my_ past, either, or about anything else. But his being a vampire hunter makes me a different half-breed, right? My blood is a unique mix because of what my parents were. _I_ am unique, different from everyone else, out of place in both human society and vampire society. Also, I have a huge purpose in this world... or at least that's what that vampire tracker, my father's old friend, said. But... what purpose? Why me? I don't know. I just know that I _don't know_."

Sakura paused to lick her dry lips. "I feel like I'm losing myself, auntie," she went on, her voice barely a whisper. "I'm not sure of who I am anymore, and what I am isn't very clear, either. I've lost my identity, turned into a stranger. I'm not the girl I thought I was. I'm not a normal human – I'm _so_ much more, and that's confusing. I don't want to be what I am. I just want to be normal, like I was – or _believed_ I was – before. I wish I could go back to those times and be careless and free again.

"It's horrible, really, how messy and unsettling my life has become. I'm scared all the time, scared that the vampire hunters will find me, or that a vampire will notice I'm a half-breed and kill me for it, because I'm a monster, right? That's another thing I don't understand. Why does being half-human makes you so _wrong_? Being half-vampire is bad enough.

"But the worst isn't being despised by both humans and vampires. The worst is that I wasn't supposed to exist, but my parents had me anyway, as if they wanted me to come to this world and suffer. They made a huge, horrible mistake, and although the vampire tracker said they had me for a good reason, I hate them. I hate them and wish they were here with me to support me at the same time. Funny, isn't it?"

Tsunade didn't move a single muscle. She was like a porcelain doll, beautiful and lifeless. Sakura watched her for a long moment, with the beeping of the heart monitor as the background sound. Nothing happened. Tsunade didn't move, didn't open her eyes, didn't smiled up at Sakura and told her everything was going to be okay. Her hand was limp, and still cold.

Feeling her chest hollow, Sakura gulped down the lump in her throat and continued talking. "And as if all that weren't enough, I have teenage issues too – _romantic_ issues, to be more specific, although I'm not sure I can call it a romance. Is it still romance even when the person doesn't feel the same way, _can't_ feel the same way, towards you? I think it's more like a tragedy, don't you think? Wanting someone you will never be able to have... it's one of the most tragic and painful things in this world."

Sakura bowed her head and closed her eyes, thinking of Sasuke so intensely that she thought her head would explode at any moment. She shouldn't have mentioned him to her aunt, because now that she said it, it was official: she had a crush on that guy, on the vampire of her dreams.

That reminded her of something, and she opened her eyes and smiled softly. "The only good thing in my life right now is that I'm not having nightmares anymore," she told her comatose aunt. "My sleep is dreamless, and I rest very well. I'm glad.

"But well, that isn't exactly the only thing I'm glad about, to be sincere. I'm also glad I have people that supports and cares about me: Ino and her family – _my_ family, the Yamanakas –, the Uchihas – specially Mikoto, who is the sweetest woman I've ever met – and of course, Shizune. She's okay, by the way. We both miss you a lot, more than you can imagine. We're slowly getting used to living without you, but that doesn't mean we want to. We wish you would wake up soon, auntie. We need you – and I need you more now that I've found out about my past and all that. I need someone to give me the strength I don't have... and I think you're the only one that can do that."

A lump formed in her throat again, and tears stung her eyes. She tightened her hold in Tsunade's hand, clasped it for a few moments, and then let go abruptly. She rose to her feet slowly, not taking her sad gaze off her aunt's calm, immobile face.

"I think I should go," Sakura whispered. "If I stay longer, I'm gonna cry, and I don't want people to see me all puffy-eyed when I exit this room. I already told you everything I wanted to tell you, anyway. I don't know if I'll come visit you again, because my life is at risk at the moment; I could die, or flee, at any moment, so I'm not going to make any promises I know I might break. But I really wish I will be able to come back. I also wish I will live long enough to see you awake, alive, just one last time."

A small, lonely tear ran down her cheek, and she wiped it away quickly. She leaned down and lovingly kissed her aunt's cold cheek goodbye. Then, telling herself to focus on anything but the grief smashing her soul, she exited the room.

* * *

><p><span>Notes<span>: I hate exams. They don't let me have time to write and update this story for you, my wonderful, sexy, awesome readers. So, blame the stupid exams, okay? Not me. Please. I'm trying my best, and giving you long chapters! Haha, anyways, keep reviewing, because I love it. :)


	28. The rose

**Chapter twenty seven**

_The rose_

The nightmares came back the first night Sakura slept in the Uchiha mansion. The dream she had that night was a new one, and it had nothing to do with Sasuke or with labyrinths – but there was that color again, scarlet. This time it wasn't in blood, or in leaves, but in a rose.

In the dream, Sakura was lost in a forest of redwoods. She was walking through the trees, thinking that if she kept heading north, she would find someone to save her, to rescue her. She should have been panicking, crying or something, but her worry was faint, her fear dull, as if she didn't really care about being lost and alone. She just kept moving, her heartbeat steady and her bare feet crunching the dead leaves on the ground.

The sky above was gray and gloomy and the dense air smelled just like it did when a storm was coming. Tiny drops of water fell on her every now and then, but it wasn't exactly raining, just drizzling a little. She was really cold, so she hugged her arms, but as soon as she touched her skin, she realized she was naked. The realization stunned her so much that she stopped walking to look down. Not a single piece of cloth covered her body. No wonder she was so damn cold.

However, instead of being confused or frightened, she was annoyed. If it rained and she was unclothed, she would get pneumonia!

Sakura kept walking, this time faster, senselessly hoping she would find clothes on the ground or an abandoned house she could hide and wait in. The noise of the leaves being crushed under her bare feet somehow made her calmer than she should be.

A few minutes later, rain started to pour angrily and thunder boomed overhead. Sakura's pace was slower as her legs grew tired. Her body was shaking like crazy and her teeth were chattering now. She was soaking wet, naked, lost and – finally, as if a door within her had been open to let fear in – very scared.

As she stood under the rain, leaning against the rough trunk of one of the many redwoods around her, she started to cry soundlessly. The tears mixed with the rain falling upon her, and wiping her face was useless: it continued getting wet. She was tired, so she decided to sit down for a minute.

But just as she was about to lower herself to the ground, she noticed something red from the corner of her eye. The color caught her attention instantly, so she turned her head and narrowed her eyes to make out the object through the thick curtain of rain.

Hesitantly, Sakura walked towards the object and stared down at it, confused. It was a beautiful, big, red rose, which petals were as drenched as she was. Its beauty was hypnotizing, and before she could register what she was doing, she was picking it up. It had no thorns; it was smooth and gorgeous, and having it as company eased her mind a little. It was the most perfect rose she'd ever seen… but what was it doing here, alone and lost, just like Sakura?

And then, without any warning, the rose started to wither. Sakura watched, bewildered, as the beautiful red petals turned dark and dead. In a few seconds, the rose went from being beautiful and alive to horrible and dead. She dropped it to the ground as if it had burned her skin at the same time another blood-curling thunder shuddered through the sky.

That's when she woke up. Her heart was hammering in her chest and she felt inexplicably sad. The rose's withering had been shocking, scary and disturbing, and it left a feeling of overwhelming hopelessness behind. There was a lump in her throat, but she didn't let a single tear fall. _It was just a dream, Sakura_, she told herself, staring at the shadows in the unfamiliar guest room. _Don't be childish_.

Sakura hid her head behind the covers and curled up into a fetal position, burying her face between her knees. She tried to fall asleep again, but the nightmare had swallowed up every single trace of tiredness. She closed her eyes, but all she saw behind her eyelids was the withered rose.

Finally, she got off the bed, put her slippers on and exited her room. The mansion was dark, silent and still, which made her feel nervous. She closed the door behind her, as quietly as she could, because she didn't want to disturb the frightening silence engulfing her. Then, she headed towards the stairs, hoping a glass of milk would help her go back to sleep.

Just as Sakura was about to take the first step down, she heard the soft music coming from the third floor. The melodies flowed down the stairs, through the air, and into her ears. She paused to listen for a few moments. It was too faint for her to make out any specific sounds, but she liked the little she could hear. She wanted to hear more.

Without giving it a second thought – perhaps because she was still a bit fazed by the nightmare and her mind wasn't working correctly yet –, Sakura turned around and walked up the stairs. By every step she climbed, the music became a little clearer, and she grew more and more interested.

Once in the third floor, she followed the music to the door at the end of the right corridor. She noticed there was activity inside that room: there was a thin line of light under the door, the only source of illumination among the darkness of the corridor. Sakura pressed her ear against the door's cold wooden surface, closed her eyes and listened. The music definitely came from in there and now that she could hear better, she realized it was classical music: soothing, elegant harmonies drenched with soul and passion.

Just when she thought she would fall asleep right there and then, lulled by the soothing tunes, the music was interrupted. Sakura snapped her eyes open, surprised by the sudden silence. But before she could even move away from the door, it opened abruptly. Since she was leaning against it, she fell forward, but instead of dropping to the floor, she bumped against something warm, soft and solid.

Embarrassed, Sakura stepped back and looked up. The light coming from the room blinded her, making her sight blurry for a few moments until her eyes adjusted, and once they did, she was able to recognize the person in front of her. Her mouth, which she'd opened to start stammering apologies and excuses, shut instantly.

Sasuke's eyes were a little wide and his lips slightly parted as he stared at her, clearly puzzled. "What are you doing here?" he whispered.

It took her several moments to finally speak, firstly because the mere sight of him made her thoughts jumble into an incoherent mess, and secondly because she could not find her voice soon enough. "I'm sorry," she blurted out at last. "I – I couldn't sleep, and I was going to go downstairs for a glass of milk, but then-"

He raised a hand to make her stop talking. "Come inside," he said. "My family will listen if we speak out here and I don't want to wake them up."

Sakura hesitated. Would it be okay to step into his bedroom? She'd never been in any boy's room before. She had never gotten along very well with boys; all of her closest friends were girls. She'd only had one boyfriend in her whole life and it had been nothing serious, just a silly little mutual crush. She was not used to invading a boy's privacy in that way… especially if she, unfortunately, had a crush on the boy in question.

Sasuke sighed, noticing she was unsure. "Come on. Just tell me what the hell you were doing and then leave."

She bit her lower lip worriedly, but finally nodded her head yes. _It will only be a couple of minutes_, she promised herself as Sasuke stepped aside to let her into the brightly lit room.

* * *

><p>Sasuke closed the door behind Sakura as softly as he could. His family didn't have light sleep, but he still hoped they hadn't heard them talking outside, principally because the thought of someone knowing he'd been alone with Sakura made him feel anxious, as if it were supposed to be his deepest secret. Maybe it was.<p>

He turned around and watched Sakura. She stood only a foot from him, looking around the room slowly, as if she were in a fascinating art museum instead of in his plain, blue-walled bedroom. Her back was to him, and he took a moment to look at her outfit. She was wearing pajamas, of course: a tight shirt decorated with purple floral patterns, and matching pants. Her bare shoulders where white and soft-looking. Sasuke wondered how her skin would feel under his touch.

_Stop that_. He shook his head, scaring those thoughts away, and then hurried towards the furthest corner of his room, where the wooden easel supporting his half-finished painting stood. He could feel Sakura's eyes on him as he grabbed a blanket and covered the canvas. She couldn't have seen the painting because the canvas was facing the wall, but still, leaving it uncovered made him feel uncomfortable. He hated when people got curious about his art.

"Okay," he said once his painting was hidden, turning to her and folding his arms. "Explain."

Sakura licked her lips nervously. Suddenly, her eyes were looking at everything but him. "I, um… Well, as I was saying, I couldn't sleep, so I decided to go for a glass of milk. You know, people say milk gets you sleepy, so I wanted to try it. Anyway, I was just about to go downstairs, when I heard music. I don't know why, but I started following it, searching for the source. And… well, that's how you found me, eavesdropping outside your room. Again, I'm really sorry. I have no idea why I did it. I suppose the nightmare…" She trailed off, and her eyes finally met his. She seemed surprised, he noticed, as if she couldn't believe she'd said what she'd said.

"Nightmare? You had a nightmare and that's why you couldn't sleep?"

Sakura nodded, staring at the carpeted floor.

Sasuke pulled the stool in front of the easel towards him and sat on it. "I didn't know you had nightmares," he murmured, and when he realized how dumb that had sounded, he added, "I mean, I wouldn't have suspected it from you."

To his surprise, Sakura snorted. "Are you serious? It's obvious I do. Traumatized people have nightmares all the time."

He frowned. "I didn't know you were traumatized."

Sakura pushed her hair behind her right ear and smiled bitterly, shaking her head. "After everything that's happened in the last month, there's no way I can't not be traumatized. But I guess you just know nothing about me."

Sasuke stared at her for a long moment. Of course he knew nothing about her; he'd barely talked to her in his life. He just knew that she was a half-breed and that she'd gone through a lot of surprises, revelations and shocks, but he had no idea of just how badly all those things haunted her mind – or actually, never paused to think about it. Suddenly, he was angry at himself for not even guessing the degree of her crisis.

"You know nothing about me, either," he replied instead, standing up. "So I guess we're even."

Her smile widened. "Not really. I know more about you than you think."

He raised an eyebrow, perplexed. "Do you?"

"Yeah. I know that you like painting," she pointed at the easel behind him, "and music," she motioned at the iPod speakers sitting on one of the book shelves at his right, from where Mozart had been playing moment ago, "and books," she finished, still looking at the shelves filled with books. "In resume, you like art. That says a lot about you."

Before Sasuke could stop himself, he asked, "And what do _you_ like?" Of course, he regretted the question instantly, because it would make her realize how interested he really was on her. He was giving himself away. _Dumbass._

But Sakura, instead of being confused or alarmed, was suddenly excited to talk. "Well, I like art, too. I love literature and I enjoy romantic novels with happy endings. Also, I'm a sucker for depressing folk music and for sci-fi movies, and I would rather go to museums than to anywhere else in the world, and I play the piano, even though I haven't had the chance to practice much lately…" She paused and the happiness suddenly drained from her face. "Sorry," she said more lowly, and then started towards the door. "I should go now, let you sleep…"

"Wait," Sasuke said, going after her. She stopped, but didn't dare to look at him, which somehow frustrated him. "What are you sorry about? I just asked you a question and you answered."

Her pink locks hid most of her face, but he saw her lower lip tremble and heard her voice break. "I'm sorry about… _everything_, okay? About eavesdropping, about interrupting you, about being a burden in general, about _being _here… It's not my intention to bother you and your family and everyone else."

"You don't bother me," he heard himself whisper, but she was too caught up in her apology to hear him, which was good.

"If I could, I would go away right now and let you go on with your lives, but I admit I'm practically defenseless without you, so that would be a suicidal thing to do and I'm actually very scared of dying. I just promise you…" Sakura finally looked at him. Her bright green eyes were watery but determined. "I'll be gone as soon as possible. You'll forget me, I'll forget you, and everything… is going to be okay again."

Sasuke stood frozen in place as she opened the door and left. Later, as he lied in bed, unsuccessfully trying to sleep, he would wish he had stopped her and told her the truth: that he didn't really want her to be gone, not soon, not ever.

* * *

><p>Shizune had no idea how she'd gotten herself in this situation. She was not just a normal young woman struggling with school, a part-time job and a comatose adoptive mother anymore: she was also the only human living in a house full of vampires and dealing with a teenage half-vampire, clearly-miserable-and-frightened adoptive cousin. She didn't have enough self-confidence to believe she could handle all those things, but she would try, mostly for Sakura, because the poor girl needed her more than ever.<p>

Luckily, on her first morning at the Uchiha mansion, she realized living with the vampires was more pleasant than she'd imagined. She'd always known vampires were not the terrible creatures portrayed in books and movies, but she hadn't been sure the Uchihas would all be as nice and normal as Tsunade. It turned out that they were: none of them seemed to think less of her because she was human or to see her as a walking meal. Mikoto and Fugaku treated her like a very important guest, smiling all the time and telling her to make herself at home, and even their sons were polite to her… especially the oldest, Itachi. He kissed her hand every time he greeted her, like a gentleman from a past century, and looked at her in a way that made her cheeks warm up.

But _no_. He was dangerous, forbidden, way out of her reach, wrong for her. _Not even _think_ about it, Shizune, _she scolded herself_. Anyone but a vampire!_

When Tsunade adopted her and then told her what she was, Shizune had to take a vow in a vampire tribunal where she swore for her life that she would keep their existence as a secret forever. Later, she became very interested and learned all she could about vampires. She studied them, learned their society's rules, what was right and what was wrong… and one rule she never forgot – especially because she was currently being witness of the consequences of breaking said rule – was that humans and vampires could not get romantically involved, let alone mate.

That was why she knew that, no matter how handsome, sexy and perfect she thought Itachi was, and no matter how charming and nice he was to her, she could _not _develop a crush on him. It could be something platonic, sure, but if she ever dared to really like him, she would be in deep shit.

Maybe she just needed a real, _human_ boyfriend. However, the mere thought of adding a romantic relationship to her already-pretty-damn-busy life, made her want to dig a hole in the ground and die in it.

* * *

><p>In the next few days, the nightmares didn't let Sakura sleep well at all. She went to bed at nine every night, but woke up four or five hours later drenched in cold sweat, breathing heavily and sometimes even crying. It took her hours to go back to sleep, and she woke up almost at midday the next days, which forced her to make up excuses like, "It's the stress," or, "I can't sleep very well in rooms that aren't mine," when anyone noticed the shadows under her eyes and asked her what was wrong.<p>

The only thing she was thankful for was that she always managed to muffle her screams and to not wake anyone up. She didn't want anybody to know how much she was suffering. It was embarrassing enough to be an unfortunate little monster that wasn't supposed to exist. She didn't want to stress anyone out more than she already had.

But she had to admit it was not easy to deal with the nightmares alone, especially when they were only getting worse. The nightmare she had on her fist day at Uchiha mansion was repeating itself, but had a small twist at the end every time. One night, the rose turned into a rotted human head in a blink of an eye; other night, its petals bled into thick, black mucus; and other night, Sakura's own hand withered instead.

She wished she could talk to anyone, but she knew no one but Tsunade would understand. Yet the woman was still in the hospital, deep in a dangerous sleep, and probably oblivious to everything her niece was going through. She also wished she could get mental help, but she preferred to endure through all that than to bother the Uchihas, Shizune or the Yamanakas any further.

Sakura was devastated. The fact that Sasuke didn't even glance at her ever since that night in his bedroom was not helping at all.

* * *

><p><span>Notes<span>: Hi, I'm back. I'm sosososososososo sorry it took me so long to update, but inspiration has FINALLY struck again and, well, hiatus is over, yay! Thanks reading, you're wonderful and I love you, okay? Okay. Pls review. :)


	29. The fiancée

**Chapter twenty eight**

_The fiancée_

On Friday, Temari No Subaku came. She was a blonde, beautiful vampire with an air of intelligence and maturity, and the kind of young woman that was meant to be a heroine: unafraid, graceful and excellent at everything she did, but too humble to brag about it. Sakura thought that she and Itachi made a flawless couple. They would make a good replacement for Mikoto and Fugaku in the future.

"I'm very pleased to meet you, Sakura," Temari said after Itachi introduced them in the study. "Honestly, you have nothing to worry about. I have an open mind and stand against all kinds of discrimination. Besides, I am very loyal to this family, and betraying you would mean betraying them. Your secret is safe with me."

"Thank you," Sakura said, smiling. But truthfully, she was irritated. Shouldn't had someone asked her before telling Temari what she was? It was _her_ secret, really, and _she_ was the one supposed to choose who to share it with. No matter how sincere and benevolent Temari seemed to be or that she was Itachi's fiancée and all that, someone _should_ have asked Sakura what she thought.

Still, there was no point in complaining. Besides, Temari had offered to help Itachi train her today, and that was a very nice gesture. Sakura could be mad at Inoichi and the Uchihas later, but right now, she had to be grateful.

"You're going to need a lot of patience, though," Itachi told Temari from the couch. "She doesn't have a lot of experience in physical activities."

"Oh, it's okay," Temari replied, smirking. "She's a vampire, if only half of herself. She'll do fine."

The words echoed in Sakura's head for a long moment. _She's a vampire, if only half of herself_. Temari was right in a way no one else that knew the secret had ever been. Sakura_ was_ a vampire, not just a half-breed, and no one could take that fact away from her. This made her feel sort of happy.

As Itachi stood up, claiming it was time to go outside and commence the training session, the study's door opened, and even though Sakura had her back to it, she knew it was Mikoto before she turned around and saw her, because she had recognized the sound of her footsteps and caught her faint scent – which she found strange, almost unsettling, but more than anything, interesting. Could it be that she was becoming more vampire by each day that went by?

"Oh, here you are," Mikoto said, walking towards them with a bright smile on her face. "Good morning, everyone! I'm glad you haven't started with the training yet. I need to talk to the two of you about the wedding," she told her son and his fiancée.

Itachi sighed tiredly and went back to his seat. "Alright, mother. But only a few minutes, okay? We need to be done with Sakura at one."

Mikoto rolled her eyes and laughed. "Itachi, it's your wedding! We _must_ start planning things out." She turned to the half-breed. "Can I borrow them for fifteen minutes, Sakura?"

"I don't see why not," Sakura answered, smiling.

Mikoto smiled back, but then she gave her a worried look. Most likely, she had just noticed the darkened shadows under the girl's tired green eyes, caused by last night's nightmare – in which the rose hadn't withered, but then she had discovered her naked body was coated with blood. Sakura fidgeted self-consciously. "I didn't see you at breakfast today, honey," Mikoto said.

"I'm so sorry," the half breed said, grimacing. "I overslept again. I still can't get used to the room."

"Oh, dear…" She put a hand on her shoulder and the worry in her dark eyes intensified. "You've been under a lot of stress, haven't you? If you're feeling ill, Sakura, don't be afraid to tell me. I can get you a doctor-"

"I'm alright, don't worry," Sakura lied quickly. "It's just… yeah, the stress. But I can deal with it." She saw that Mikoto was suspecting, so she hurried to change the subject. "Anyways, I'll leave you guys alone and go have breakfast."

"Oh, don't forget to feed!" Mikoto exclaimed. She then walked over to the small fridge in the corner that was supposed to contain snacks for Itachi and Sasuke, since they spent a lot of their time in this study, and opened it. The fridge actually contained many black bottles without labels, all of them surely full of blood: the Uchiha's version of 'snacks'. Mikoto took one and handed it to her.

"Yes, Mrs. Uchiha. Thank you so much." Sakura took the bottle – heavy, definitely full –, and then scurried towards the door.

But before she exited the room, she heard Mikoto call her. "Oh, and Sakura? Let me give you a tip: put the bottle in the microwave. Blood always tastes better warm."

Sakura thanked her once again and finally left. She hurried down the stairs and towards the kitchen as she sipped a bit from the bottle; the blood was cold, but still tasted good. Little by little, she was starting to feel less disgusted of herself and embracing her need of blood, growing used to it. The facts that she didn't have to kill anyone to feed and that the Uchihas only had animal blood helped a lot.

When she stepped into the kitchen, no one gave her a second glance or spoke to her. Mikoto had told the whole staff that Sakura was now her guest (giving them the truthful-yet-vague excuse that Sakura was related to a good friend of hers and currently going through hard times, so she had given her and her cousin, Shizune, a place to stay temporally). Sakura wasn't the newbie maid anymore, but the madam's respected visitor. She tried not to feel too good about that.

The perk of having experience as a maid there was that she knew where each thing was kept in the kitchen. Discreetly, she put the bottle of blood in the microwave and let it heat up for forty seconds, anxiously hoping no one would question what she was doing. Luckily, no one did.

After she finished the blood – which definitely tasted a hundred times better warm; why hadn't she done this before? –, she took the box of her favorite cereal, a bowl, milk and a spoon and made herself a very easy, yet yummy, breakfast. All the while, she was happily ignored by the staff.

With her bowl of cereal in one hand and the empty bottle she didn't know where to put in the other, Sakura exited the kitchen and headed to the garden, where she hoped she would be able to eat peacefully before going back with Itachi and Temari. However, she had just taken a few steps out of the kitchen when she _felt_, thanks to her newly discovered vampire senses, someone very familiar coming.

"TenTen!" she exclaimed, hoping she didn't seem as panicked as she was inside. TenTen believed the excuse Mikoto had given the entire staff, but she didn't know details of what exactly were the hard times Sakura was going through, and she never had the time to properly question her or Ino because they had been avoiding her as much as possible. Now, though, Sakura was cornered; she had nowhere to escape to.

The brunette approached her, dressed for work and raising a quizzical eyebrow. "Hey," she said. "I haven't seen you in _days,_ Saks. How is everything going?" She paused and noticed her clothes. "Uh, why are you dressed like that?"

Sakura smiled nervously at her training outfit: a half-sleeved gray shirt, black sport leggings and ratty tennis shoes. "Ummm," she started, hysterically searching in her brain for a believable excuse.

But then, like a female knight in shiny armor wearing a maid uniform, Ino arrived to rescue her. "Sakura!" she exclaimed. "Here you are, my friend. I've been looking all over for you."

Sakura cocked an eyebrow. "You have?"

"Um, excuse me, Ino," TenTen said sassily. "We're having a conversation right now."

Ino mocked a glare in her direction. "Shouldn't you be working, missy?"

"Shouldn't _you_?"

The blonde rolled her eyes and told Sakura, "Itachi is looking for you. The training is about to start."

"Training?" TenTen repeated, taken aback.

Ino smiled. "Yup. Sakura has decided to start doing exercise. She's finally realized that even though she's skinny and that's totally fine, boys find athletic girls hotter. And Itachi is this sports-maniac, so he offered to train her. Isn't that super awesome?"

"Wow," TenTen said slowly. "The Uchihas are all… really hospitable."

"Yeah, they are," Sakura said, and started to walk away. "Anyways, I gotta go. Nice talking to you, see you around!"

For a triumphant moment, Sakura thought she would get to escape, like she always did. But then she felt a hand grasp her wrist and heard TenTen say, "Oh no, you are _not _getting away this time!" She spun her around and frowned severely at her and at Ino. "What the hell is going on, you guys?" she demanded. "I'm sick and tired of you avoiding me. You two are supposed to be my best friends, but you never tell me anything! All I have heard from Sakura's situation is from other maids' mouths. Why don't you freaking trust me anymore?"

Sakura saw the desperation and the pain in her friend's brown eyes and, for the first time, she imagined herself in her place and realized just how much they were hurting her. Ino, TenTen and Sakura used to be very close, to tell each other their most embarrassing secrets and share their deepest thoughts. Now, though, they were leaving TenTen out, alienating her.

However, they could not tell her exactly what was going on. TenTen was a human and she could not know the truth about Sakura, because then she would have to know that vampires exist, which was a crime unless she swore in front of the vampires to die if she ever told the secret. Sakura didn't want her friend to be involved in all this madness, or to have her pity, like she had everyone else's, or – even worse – to fear her.

Everything had changed, even their friendship. It had been inevitable.

"TenTen," Sakura said softly, looking at the girl with as much sincerity as she could. "I'm sorry. Really sorry. I should have talked to you before." And then, grudgingly and under her two best friend's confused stares, she lied: "The truth is that Shizune decided to rent our house for a couple of months to get some extra money and to make me quit my job, because it was stressing me out a lot. That's why we had to find somewhere else to live. I was going to stay at Ino's, but there isn't enough space. So when Mrs. Uchiha told us we could stay here, we accepted."

The brunette's expression softened little by little. Finally, she sighed deeply and said, "It's okay, Sakura. You seem to be having a hard time. I don't want to make it worse." She offered a small, hesitant smile. "Just remember I'm here for you, okay? You can talk to me about anything."

Relieved, Sakura hugged her friend. No, she couldn't talk to her about _anything_. But she sure could find comfort in her arms.

"Oh, you guys so cheesy," Ino half sobbed, half laughed, and threw her arms around them both.

When the cheesy moment with TenTen was over, Ino and Sakura headed to the garden. Ino carried a tray with tea and cookies for Kakashi and Sasuke, who sat at the table her best friends and she used to have lunch in when they were all maids. Oh, those good times felt like eons ago…

"Is Itachi really looking for me?" Sakura asked.

Ino smiled. "No. I just said it to save you from facing TenTen. You did well, though. Nice lie."

"Thanks, I guess…"

As soon as they stepped outside, Kakashi looked up from the book before him and smiled under his scarf. "Good morning, young ladies," he said, leaning back in his chair.

"Morning, Mr. Hatake," Ino replied, putting the tray on the table and serving a cup of tea for him. "Morning, Sasuke," she added in a less polite and more sarcastic tone, looking at the black-haired boy, who hadn't bothered to tear his gaze off his book. What a rude, gorgeous bastard. Still, she served a cup of tea for him, too; that was her job as a parlor maid now.

"Good morning," Sakura said. Her voice was too little, too timid, and Ino looked at her questioningly. The girl looked kind of gaunt lately, like she wasn't sleeping and eating well. Ino worried very much, but decided against bothering her cousin with nosy questions. Also, she wanted to believe that it was all temporal, that Sakura would be okay soon.

Right now, though, her cheeks were rosy, her eye twitched nervously, and Ino could almost hear her fluttering heart. What was Sakura so excited about? For a crazy moment, she wondered if it was because of the two other vampires' presences, but Kakashi was too old for her, and Sasuke… well, Sakura had always seemed to dislike the young man, which was understandable because he was a jerk. She _definitely_ wasn't affected by him, was she?

Ino hoped not. One thing was being attracted to a guy that was engaged, and other thing was being attracted to a guy her best friend and cousin _also_ liked.

"What do you have there, Sakura?" Kakashi asked casually, looking at the pink-haired girl's bowl of cereal, before taking a sip of his tea.

"Breakfast," Sakura answered with a small smile. She looked at her other hand and added, "Oh, and an empty bottle of… uh, _that_. Um, I don't know where to put it. The trash-can seems a very unsafe place."

Kakashi chuckled. "Any trash-can is alright. Just put the cap on. No human is going to be digging around the trash."

"Oh, okay," Sakura laughed lightly. "Sorry. I'm still trying to get used to all of this."

"It's okay." The silver-haired man motioned to an empty chair. "Why don't you sit? You can have breakfast here with us."

Sakura was suddenly way too uncomfortable, Ino noticed; still, she did what Kakashi said after a long moment of hesitation. Ino picked up her tray and watched her cousin a she started eating her cereal. The pink haired girl sat still, tense, barely breathing – and she looked anywhere but in Sasuke's direction. He, on the other hand, was being more indifferent and quiet than usual, and kept his eyes (deliberately?) glued to the book.

Dread made the blonde's stomach sink. _Could it be…?_

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sudden, unpleasant scent of a very familiar werewolf. "Heeeeey, everyone!" she heard, just a second before a heavy arm hooked around her neck. "How's it going?" Naruto asked, his cheeky grin in place.

"Ugh, get off me, idiot," Ino groaned, shrugging the boy's arm off. She wished her shift was already over so that she could punch him without getting in trouble. "Don't ever touch me again, okay?"

"Awww, I'm sorry, princess…"

"And don't call me that!"

Naruto suddenly gave her an odd look. "Wait. Why are you still a maid? Sakura doesn't need you to watch her the whole time now that she lives here. And I know the whole my-parents-are-punishing-me-for-being-an-spoiled-brat thing is bullshit."

"But not _everyone_ knows it is bullshit," Ino said, annoyed at how stupid he could be sometimes. "I need an excuse to spend time here without those who don't know about Sakura suspecting, because I can't say I'm just visiting my good friend Sasuke, can I?"

Naruto shrugged. "You got a point. And speaking of my favorite asshole…"

"That sounds so wrong, Naruto," Sasuke said, finally looking up from his book.

The blond grinned and threw a black leather jacket at him. "Here. Hinata told me to give you this. By the way, it's so sweet that you give your fiancée your jacket when she's cold. I didn't know you were so swe-"

The clatter of a spoon falling on the table interrupted Naruto's sentence. Everyone's eyes snapped towards Sakura, whose green eyes were suddenly very wide. "Did he say… _fiancée_?"

There was a long moment of awkward silence, and then Naruto exclaimed, "Ohhh, goddammit, Ino! You didn't tell her about that, either?!"

"It's not my fucking job anymore!" Ino defended herself.

"You really didn't know, Sakura?" Kakashi asked lowly.

"No…" The girl looked at Sasuke and frowned. "You're getting _married_?"

"In two years," he replied evenly, but Ino noticed the rigidness of his back.

Sakura's jaw dropped. "Two years! And you have planned it already? That's… _Wow_. Why? You guys are still too young…, don't you think?"

Sasuke looked away and let Kakashi answer. "Arraging marriages is a very usual vampire custom, especially among powerful clans. Even before they were born, their clans planned on Sasuke marrying Hinata in order to create a stronger bond between their clans, just like Itachi will marry Temari to enforce the bonds with the No Subakus."

The half breed still seemed very bewildered. "So you're saying that vampires force their children to marry people they don't _love_?"

Again, there was a long moment of uncomfortable quiet, and then Naruto sighed heavily and mumbled, "Goddammit, Ino!"

* * *

><p>Sakura and Temari were waiting for Itachi to come back with some things they would train Sakura with. They sat in the furthest part of the garden, where no one in the mansion could see them, so that they wouldn't have to explain any human maid why they're trying to hurt each other. Absent-mindedly, Sakura played with the bright green grass beneath her, caring very little about making Temari uncomfortable with the silence.<p>

Eventually, though, the vampire couldn't stand it anymore. Sakura heard her exhaled heavily and start, "Alright, Sakura, I've had enough. What is up with you? Minutes ago you were being totally normal and nice and now it seems like someone chopped your tongue off. You even look as sad as you would be if you didn't have a tongue anymore."

Sakura cracked a half smile. "I still have a tongue, don't worry."

Temari grinned. "Yeah, that's good. Talk to me. Tell me about you. I'm sorry if I annoy you, but I just like good, time-killer chats."

"You want to know about me?" the pink-haired girl asked, plucking a strand of grass off. "There isn't much to tell, really. I like reading cheesy novels and listening to sad music, I want to become a doctor someday, I'm not a morning person, I love rainy days, I can't cook to save my life – and, oh, did I mention I recently found out I'm a half human, half vampire creature that some vampire hunters want to assassinate and that is supposed to have this big purpose in the world but is too freaking scared and weak to face it, and that the guy I like-?" She cut herself off. She'd said enough. "In resume, my life sucks," she finished quietly. "Your turn."

Temari was, of course, stunned by the outburst. But there wasn't sympathy in her gaze, not exactly. She seemed more like… amused? "Alright," she said at last, nodding slowly. "My turn? Well, I enjoy going to fancy parties, playing sports and watching funny movies. I hate selfish people, boring documentaries, discrimination and papaya juice. I'm the heiress of my clan – and, oh, did I mention I'm forced to marry a guy I am not in love with and there's nothing I can do to about it because my whole clans depends on it?"

Sakura stared at Itachi's fiancée for a long moment. She was smiling, but her pretty hazel eyes were clouded by frustration – not towards Sakura, surely, but towards life itself. Temari knew what it was like to be unable to change your own destiny.

"I'm sorry," Sakura said at last, looking down at the grass. "Sometimes I forget other people have big problems to deal with, too."

The older woman chuckled light-heartedly. "Don't worry. It happens to everyone."

The sunlight was beginning to dim down as the sun lowered towards the horizon. Crisp air blew on them, caressing the grass and their hair and clothes. Sakura listened to the sounds of the early afternoon, hesitated, and then spoke.

"Temari… can I ask you something and you won't get, like, offended or something?"

The blonde smiled softly at her. "Sure. What is it?"

"How's it like to be forced to marry someone you don't love?"

Temari tilted her head to a side and stared at the distance thoughtfully. "Well… it's not very nice, obviously. The good things about my situation is that Itachi is a very intelligent, respectful and mature young man, that having such a strong bond with the Uchihas will benefit my clan greatly, and that there's nobody else I'm in love with. The last thing is the best of them all, to be honest. Can you imagine if I had to suffer through something as tragic as having to choose between my clan and the love of my life?"

Sakura grimaced. "That would suck even more than my life does."

Temari smiled at her. "You know why? Because love is not just the strongest thing in the world, Sakura: it's also what makes us suffer the most."

* * *

><p><span>Notes<span>: Heyyy, I'm still here, still writing and uploading! Pls review and give me your opinion, don't be a meanie.


	30. The dinner

**Chapter twenty nine**

_The dinner_

"Sakura. Are you listening to what I'm saying?"

The black fog in her mind dissipated and she snapped her eyes open. She was in the study, sitting on a couch. Kakashi sat across a coffee table and his only visible eye looked fixedly at her.

Sakura's ideas fell into place and she straightened her back. "Uh? Yeah, yeah, I'm awake, Mr. Hatake. Sorry."

He sighed tiredly. "I didn't ask if you were awake, Sakura, because seconds ago, you were clearly drifting off. I asked if you were _listening_ to me."

"I am," she said, but the silver-haired vampire could see through her lie. "Alright, maybe I wasn't," she admitted unhappily. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Hatake. I haven't been sleeping very well and we've been here for two long hours. I need a nap."

"We were just about to finish, actually," Kakashi said, pouring more tea from a white porcelain pot into his cup. "But now you've given me an idea, and I need you to stay a bit longer."

Suppressing a moan, Sakura nodded. _Stupid nightmares_, she thought, _this is your entire fault_. An image of a withered rose flashed in her mind. The memory made a shiver ran up her spine, so she focused back on the present.

"Why aren't you sleeping well, Sakura?" Kakashi asked. "You've told me it's because it takes you long to get used to sleeping in a new room, but it's been practically an entire week since you moved here. I don't find this behavior very normal. Have you tried taking medication or something of the sort?"

She wished she had. Unfortunately, she had no money and no sources to get it. Sure, she could always asked Mikoto or Shizune to get them for her, but she was sick of asking so much from them – from _anyone_. So she kept quiet about it, and lied when they asked if she needed anything.

"Kakashi," she said now, irked. "You do understand how straining and overwhelming my situation is, don't you? A month ago, I was a happily normal girl whose only problem was to give up school for a job that would pay for her comatose aunt's hospital bills. Now I have to deal with so much more: being an abnormal creature that isn't supposed to exist, dead parents that gave birth to me even though they _knew_ my life would be terrible, putting in great risk all the people that care about me, horrifying nightmares, vampire hunters that want to kill me, fear of anyone else finding out what I am, a supposedly huge purpose in this world I don't even know I can handle, _and_ a comatose aunt!" She took a deep breath, regaining composure. "Really, this is way too much for an eighteen-year-old girl. I'm _tired_. Can't you just give me a small break?"

"Sure I can," Kakashi replied calmly, leaning back and crossing his legs. "Just one more thing before you go."

Relieved, Sakura closed the book she had been reading on her lap, put it aside and stood up. "What is it?"

"You said something about horrifying nightmares."

_Oh, crap._ "Did I?"

"Yes. Exactly _how_ horrifying are they? I know you don't really want to talk about it, but this is perking my interest because I think it might have something to do with your gift."

Suddenly, Sakura's interest was perked, too. She sat back down. "What can bad dreams have to do with a gift? Are you saying my gift might be to scare myself out of sleep?"

"You'll see, vampire gifts are something I've always been very interested in, so I have read a lot of books about them." Kakashi rose to his feet and walked over to the bookcases behind him. He ran a finger across the books' spines, searching for one in specific, and when he found it, he took it out and went back to his seat. "Not so long ago," he continued, "I found this book and brought it here to share it with Sasuke and Itachi. It was written in the past century by a Yamanaka vampire. It is about his own gift: predicting his future with his nightmares."

The half breed gasped softly. Yamanaka blood ran through her veins, which meant that the author of the book in Kakashi's hands was her ancestor. Could it be that she had, somehow, inherited his gift?

"He had terrible nightmares, like yours," Kakashi said as he leafed through the book. "They haunted him in his sleep. One day, a human servant gave him a book about the meanings of dreams. He then discovered that every factor of his nightmares from the past had predicted his present. He took the meanings from that book his servant gave him and from his own experience, and wrote them here." He handed her the book, which he'd opened at page eighty one. "Look up the nightmares you had before you found out you were a half breed, Sakura. Let's see what's in them."

Sakura took the book and read it. It seemed like a dictionary, really, with different words and situations alphabetically ordered and their meanings. Instantly, she went to the letter V and looked up 'vampire'. She knew it was obvious for a vampire to dream about other vampires, but she still hoped to find something interesting.

Soon, she found the word in different ways: beautiful vampire, crazy vampire, dead vampire, happy vampire, known vampire, sad/crying vampire, ugly vampire, unknown vampire, violent vampire, weak vampire…

"I dreamed of a vampire in my first nightmare ever," she confessed quietly. "He was beautiful and at the time unknown… but later, I met him in real life." Kakashi said nothing; just started at her. She looked back at the book and read. "This says that dreaming of a beautiful vampire means: 'a true love awaits you, but it will be doomed from the start.'" Her throat closed up, but she forced herself to continue. "Dreaming of an unknown vampire means: 'you will most likely meet him/her in the future, for he/she is unconsciously waiting for you to appear in his/her life.'"

They were silent for a few long moments. Sakura's eyes started to water, but she didn't noticed until a tear fell on the book she stared at. She blinked several times, and then Kakashi asked, "Has any of that happened, Sakura?"

"Maybe," she whispered.

The silver-haired man didn't ask who her so-called true love was, or who she'd dreamed of and later met in real life, as she had been fearing. Instead, he put his elbows on his knees, nodded solemnly, and said, "Okay. Continue reading."

* * *

><p>Mikoto rose from her chair and admired her work, which hung from a dress form. It was a white cotton dress with lace details in the hem, tight around the chest and the rib cage but loose in the skirt. It was too mature for a young child, but not elegant enough for a woman her age. She believed every dress had a personality, and this dress's was innocent, pure-hearted and sweet, but also imposing, brave and strong.<p>

Nostalgically, Mikoto caressed the strap. _This dress_, she thought, _would have been perfect for Hikari_. _Perhaps I unconsciously made it for her…_

A knock on the door interrupted her sentimental moment. Mikoto took a deep breath, forced a soft smile on her face and called, "Come on in."

A moment later, the door of her office opened and a maid stepped in. "Madam, you have a call from Mr. Hyuga."

The black haired woman nodded and, when the maid left, she picked up the phone sitting on her desk, pressed a button and answered her future daughter-in-law's father. "Hiashi!" she greeted cheerfully. "How is everything going?"

"Hello, Mikoto," the man replied lively. "Everything's fine. I just called to invite you and your family for dinner tonight. We had such a great time on Wednesday that we thought it would be delightful if our families got together again as soon as possible. This time, it's our turn to be the hosts, though. So what do you say?"

"Oh, we would love to!" Mikoto said, but in that moment, she remembered about Sakura. They could not refuse the Hyuga's invitation, but they could not leave the girl alone in the house, either, because what if something happened? What if the vampire hunters arrived? They had to be here to protect her, always. _Hikari would have thought the same thing if she'd had to protect one of my sons._ "But… there is one small problem, Hiashi."

"What is it?" he asked, concerned.

Mikoto planted a smile on her face and lied. "That I have already planned a very delicious dinner in my house that you and your family cannot miss!"

* * *

><p>It was almost eight p.m. when Shizune parked her plain, old car in the huge garage where all the Uchihas' fancy cars were kept. As she climbed out of her own vehicle, she wondered which one of them Itachi drove. She bet it was the shiny, black sports car in the far corner, because it was definitely as sexy as him.<p>

_No, no, no, Shizune! What did we say about thinking of a vampire that way? Right: DON'T DO IT._

Sighing tiredly, she grabbed her bag and her heavy psychology books, locked her car, and headed into the mansion she now called her temporal home. Who would have guessed that she, a simple twenty-two-year-old that studied her butt off in the morning and worked in a clothes shop in the afternoon, would end up living here? She would call herself lucky if it weren't for the bizarre circumstances that had brought her to this place.

Shizune had just set a foot into the mansion when the man she had just called sexy in her mind suddenly appeared in front of her. "OH MY FUCKING GOD!" she screamed, staggering backwards and accidentally dropping her books to the floor.

Itachi jumped back too, startled by her reaction. "Jesus Christ, woman," he hissed, looking at her like she'd grown two heads. "Do you always greet people like this?"

Panting, Shizune frowned. "No! Do you always just come out of nowhere and scare people?"

He cracked a – _goddamn sexy, ugh_ – smirk. "No. Do you always cuss when you are scared?"

"Sometimes," she sighed, and then she kneeled down and started picking her books up. Of course, Itachi, as the gentleman he was, picked some books up as well and then helped her carry them inside. Shizune tried not to blush as they walked side by side, and she kept reminding herself that he was forbidden and dangerous and she couldn't like him, he was forbidden and dangerous and she couldn't like him, he was forbidden and dangerous and she couldn't like him…

Mrs. Uchiha was waiting for them in the entrance hall. She rose from the couch when she saw Shizune and smiled. "Hello, Shizune! I'm glad you're finally home."

"Thank you," the younger woman replied, glancing suspiciously from the beautiful black-haired woman to her beautiful oldest son. Shizune had already lived there for a few days and this was the first time she was personally greeted by them and like this, and that was a bit suspicious. "Um, is everything alright?"

"Yes, but I have a favor to ask you, dear."

"Oh. Well, I'm very grateful to you and your family for everything you've done, Mrs. Uchiha, so feel free to ask anything."

Mikoto nodded. "Thank you. You'll see… The Hyugas are coming over for dinner. They're all vampires, and they have no idea Sakura and you are living here or that just one of you is completely human. And I can't just tell them we're helping you because you're related to an old friend of mine, because I know them: I know they'll suspect something and – it's just too _risky_, Shizune. I need you and Sakura to stay upstairs, in your rooms, until the dinner ends."

"Of course," Shizune said immediately. "It's alright, Mrs. Uchiha. It's no problem."

"Really? Oh, thank you!" Unexpectedly, the vampire hugged her. "I'm so sorry if it makes you feel uncomfortable," she said, stepping back.

The other woman shook her head and smiled. "Really, it's fine. I planned on sleeping until tomorrow, anyways… Where's Sakura, by the way?"

"She's in the study," Itachi said. "Her lesson with Kakashi ended hours ago, but apparently she's too caught up on studying whatever she's studying, because she hasn't moved ever since."

"Has she eaten anything?" Shizune asked, her worried-mother-self coming out.

"Of course, dear, I made sure of that," Mikoto answered. "She's fed – both of food and of blood."

Shizune smiled, feeling glad she wasn't the only one that worried so much about the girl anymore. "Oh, that's good. Well, I'll go check on her and tell her about the Hyugas now."

"Okay, see you later, dear," Mikoto said happily, and then rushed away, probably busy arranging the dinner.

"Let me get these," Itachi said when his mother was gone, taking the couple of books Shizune carried and adding them to the small tower he already had in his hands. Shizune opened her mouth to tell him she wasn't useless, she could carry two damn books up the stairs, but he cut her off. "It's alright, Shizune. I _want_ to help you."

And then, he did the unimaginable: he _winked_ at her.

_Oh, dear God_, Shizune thought, following the vampire towards the stairs.

* * *

><p>Kakashi had had to leave four hours ago – maybe five – but Sakura hadn't moved from her spot in the study's couch ever since. Her butt was numb, but she was too focused on reading her ancestor's book and making notes on her notebook every time she read something she considered important – which was every ten seconds, apparently, because she'd already used a bunch of pages and her right hand hurt like hell – to care.<p>

She only took three breaks in those five or four hours: one to go to the bathroom, other to eat the food and drink the bottle of warm blood Mikoto had kindly sent her, and other to go to the bathroom again. For a moment after that third break, she felt back in high school, when she had to study very hard for a test and Tsunade let her concentrate and just quietly walked into her room from time to time to leave her meals or small snacks. Then, she pushed the memory away and focused back on the book.

Shortly afterwards, Sakura interrupted her lecture when she heard the study's door open. She saw Shizune step in. The human's brown hair was messy and her eyes tired, which meant she'd just gotten from work.

"Hey," Sakura said. She looked at her book, realized there were only a few chapters left to read, and finally decided to close it and continue tomorrow. "How's it going?"

"Fine. I'm just, you know, tired," Shizune said, closing the door behind her.

"Rough day?" Sakura asked, standing up. She stretched her back and heard it crack. "Ouch."

"It was okay, actually," Shizune said. "What about yours?"

"Better than expected. I think I just found out what my vampire gift is."

"Wow, cool! I'd love to hear everything about it now, Saks, but I'm exhausted. Also, I have to tell you something important. Mrs. Uchiha said some vampire family is coming over for dinner, and she doesn't want them to know we're temporally living here. You know, it'd be tricky to explain exactly why the Uchihas are being so hospitable to us and all that. So we gotta stay in our rooms until they're gone."

"You mean, _hide_ in our rooms," Sakura said. She understood why Mikoto wanted this, but it still made her feel like a criminal… which, actually, she was, just by the mere act of existing. And the Uchihas were going through all this trouble because of her. _Well, there goes my good mood._

"Yeah. It's nothing, really," Shizune said. "Just stay in your room and wait."

"Okay…"

Shizune seemed to notice her uneasiness. She smiled softly and caressed her cheek. "Come on, Saks. They just want to keep you safe."

Sakura knew that; still, it didn't feel good to be a burden. But she kept quiet, as always, and just picked her stuff up, cleaned her spot and exited the study.

Before going to her room, she took a quick shower. Then, she tried to get some sleep. She was tired after so much reading and thinking, so it wasn't very hard to find her bed the most comfortable place in the world.

However, just as she was losing consciousness, her throat started to tingle. She recognized the sensation instantly, and sleep vanished in a blink of an eye. Sakura sat upright and felt as the tingle slowly became scratching and then burning. The pain wasn't unbearable yet, but she needed to do something soon.

Trying to remain calm, she scrambled off the bed and walked out of her room as quietly, and quickly, as she could. She was barefoot so that her steps were more silent, and as she walked down the corridor towards the study, she had a déjà vu. She was walking down a dark corridor in the Uchiha mansion, just like in her first nightmare. Now she just needed to find that red door and go through it – which she had read earlier that meant she was going to start a new chapter in her life that, because of the color red, would be filled with power, passion, violence and bravery. Said prediction had been so right it scared her.

Sakura sneaked into the study and headed straight towards the mini fridge sitting against the opposite wall. She pulled its door open – a bit too violently – and her soul dropped to her feet when she saw it was empty. _Oh no_, she thought, closing the door. _Oh shit._

Suddenly, her throat was on fire and she felt like she was being strangled. She realized she had no other choice: she would have to go downstairs and get some blood from the kitchen.

As she walked down the stairs, being as careful and silent as possible, Sakura tried to distract herself from the pain by repeating the password of the safe they kept the blood in. It was ten p.m. or so, and that meant that most of the staff was already gone, so the kitchen would be practically empty. She'd just have to tell everyone to please get out for a minute and then…

Suddenly, the smell hit her. She could count them: nine in total. Nine humans, full of delicious, warm blood… and so, so close to her!

* * *

><p>Sasuke almost choked on his drink when his nose caught the smell – <em>her<em> smell. He would have recognized it everywhere, because he had never smelled something of the sort before: it was sweet and fleshy like a human's smell, but also raw, heavy and acrid like a vampire's.

And underneath those two utterly different scents: cherry shampoo. _Sakura._

Sasuke had smelled it before anyone else at the table because he was closest to the door and because he was probably the only one bored enough to be paying close attention to anything that happened outside the dining room. But soon, he saw Hinata wrinkle her nose and Itachi stiffen and look at him with quiet alarm in his dark gaze.

"I got it," Sasuke mouthed at his brother and then, as naturally as he could, he said at loud, "Excuse me, I'll be back in a second." Then, he stood up, exited the room and hoped the rest of the Hyugas didn't notice Sakura's scent before he got to her.

Once he was out of sight, Sasuke started running towards the smell. He found her at the end of the stairs, frozen in place, wearing pink pajamas, and looking beautiful and dangerous: vampire.

"Sakura," he said quietly, grasping her wrists. He could feel the pounding of her heart beneath his fingers. "Sakura, what are you doing here?"

His voice made her snap back to reality and her green eyes, inhumanly bright, crystalline and hypnotic, focused on him. "Sasuke," she whispered. "Sasuke, I…, I am thirsty. There isn't any blood in the study, and I didn't know what to do so I came down and…, there are _humans_ here, Sasuke. I can smell them."

"Yeah, I know, I know," he said, starting to pull her up the stairs. "I'll get you blood soon. Let's just go upstairs. If we stay here, the Hyugas will smell _you_."

"Hyugas?" she asked, pausing. "So… Hinata is here?"

He frowned, wondering why she would mention Hinata right now. "Yeah, what does that have t-?"

"Nothing." Looking away, she hurried up the stairs and pulled him with her. "Quickly, let's go."

Sasuke led her to the third floor, never letting go of one of her wrists, principally to hold her back in case any human happened to be around, but also because he secretly liked the feeling of her soft skin under his.

Sasuke threw his bedroom's door open and pushed Sakura inside. Then, he locked the door behind him – just in case, just in case – and turned the lights on. Sakura sat on his bed and played with her damp hair as he went to his mini fridge and pulled a bottle of blood out of it. He'd decided to have a fridge in his room for whenever he was too lazy to go downstairs if he got thirsty; he never would've thought it'd be so helpful in the future.

As soon as Sakura saw the bottle, he swore he could _hear_ her fangs grow. Without taking her glassy eyes off it, she stood up, snatched the bottle from his hand, practically broke the cap off and started drinking. Sasuke looked away, but this time, part of him _wanted _to look as she drank, to see the pleasure in her face and watch the blood flow down her throat. Still, he closed his eyes, and fought to not lose his composure.

She was done in less than thirty seconds. "Ohh," she moaned. "Good God, that was good. So, so good…"

Sasuke looked at her again. This time, it was his turn to snatch the bottle from her hand. "What the _fuck_ was that?" he hissed, glaring at her. "You've been a vampire for not even a month, and you thought you would be able to fucking control yourself with humans around when you were thirsty? Are you _insane_?"

Surprisingly, Sakura didn't step back, or drop her gaze or start crying. Instead, she held his gaze and spoke calmly. "I'm sorry, okay? It was a stupid thing to do, I know that now, but a minute ago I was too damn thirsty to know what I was doing. I just knew I had to have blood and soon, and since I didn't find any in the study, I didn't have other choice but to go downstairs, Sasuke."

"And you were hoping to get some from the safe in the kitchen, which you _knew _would be full with humans?" He rolled his eyes. "Goddamn, you're such a genius."

She raised her voice a little and unleashed her exasperation. "Well, what else was I supposed to do, huh? You and your family were too busy with your little fiancée's family and with being your own vampire selves, while I wasn't even supposed to be here tonight, or ever! I just wanted to stop bothering you, to be self-sufficient for once in my entire fucking life…!" She closed her eyes tightly and turned away. "Shit…"

Sasuke took a deep breath. "Look," he said more gently, "I understand that this whole thing is crazy, but thirsty or not, you've to remember what's too dangerous to try out and what isn't. You could have searched in other rooms for blood. We're vampires, for God's sake; we keep blood practically in every room of the house. But…, I guess it's kind of our fault for not telling you this before."

She looked at him and frowned. "What? No. This whole thing is only _my _fault. I should have fed properly earlier. I just drank one bottle in the entire day."

"Yeah, but we should've made sure you drank enough if other vampires were com-"

Sakura shook her head and ran her hands down her face in a desperate manner. "Stop it, okay? Stop it. It's my fault and no one else's. Besides, I'm not a kid; I can take care of myself. So just – _stop it_, please. Thanks for the blood and everything, but now just go back to the dinner, spend time with your fiancée and her family, and live your life while I live mine, alright? I already told you: I'm going to be gone very soon, anyways. I _promised_."

Before he could stop himself, he walked towards her and grasped her shoulders. "No, _you_ stop it! Stop being so proud and stubborn and stop treating yourself like this! We've helped you because you haven't done anything wrong and it's not fair that everyone else wants you dead just for being what you are. You _don't _deserve to fucking suffer. Yet, you seem to _want_ unhappiness and to hate yourself because of something you didn't choose to be, just like everyone else…" He let go of her, stepped back, and whispered, "You're just like everyone else."

Sakura was so stunned she didn't dare to move for a long moment. The only other time he had seen her like this was when they had first met and then she had passed out. Was she going to pass out again?

But then, she seemed to snap out of her shock, and her face slowly crumbled with pain. "_Fuck you_," she whispered, not screamed, which was much more unsettling. Then, she went to the door, opened it, and left.

Sasuke threw himself to the bed, pressed his face against a pillow and screamed into it until his throat hurt. He knew he had to go back to the dinner with the Hyugas. Hinata's father was expecting him to be there, just so that he could continue testing him to see if he would be a good husband for Hinata and a good future leader for the main Hyuga clan, and so were his parents. But the truth was that Sasuke wasn't any of that: not a husband, not a leader, nothing but a very conflicted nineteen-year-old young man that wanted freedom from his clan and from the world. They would all have to wait for him.

The strange thing was that all those feelings of frustration, inconformity and rage bloomed to the surface with _this_ intensity always because of Sakura. He had felt like this after she left his bedroom that other night and also after she had seen him with Hinata and they had stared at each other. She, somehow, made him feel this weird.

She, somehow, made him feel _himself_.

Impulsively, Sasuke got off the bed and ran out of his bedroom and down the stairs, towards the guest rooms. He didn't know in which room Sakura was staying, so he sharpened his sense of smell and sniffed the air for her peculiar scent. His footsteps took him to the room at the end of the corridor, which door was closed. He tried the knob; it was unlocked. Sasuke stormed inside.

But everything he found inside was plain furniture, a messy bed and an open window. Sakura was not there.

* * *

><p><span>Notes<span>: Thanks for reviewing! :)


	31. The freedom

**Chapter thirty**

_The freedom_

Climbing out the window of a second-story room turned out to be easier than she had imagined. Her limbs were suddenly more agile and flexible than she knew, and her movements faster and more graceful. She suspected it was all because of the blood – cold, yet still mouth-watering – she had recently drunk. Blood was to vampires – even half-vampires – like vitamins were to humans, maybe.

Getting out of the Uchihas' territory had also been easy. There was a guard at the gate that would either try to stop her or call the Uchihas and tell them what she was doing, so she ran into the woods and towards the wall marking the perimeter of the territory, as far as possible from the gate and the guard. She then climbed the eight-feet-tall wall – piece of cake, as well – and jumped down into freedom, landing painlessly and on feet, like a cat.

Sakura paused for a moment and wondered if she should do this or not. She knew she was putting her life at risk and, therefore, throwing everything the Uchihas, the Yamanakas and even her own stupid parents had sacrificed – even though she _never_ asked any of them to – away. However, she could not bring herself to seriously care about it anymore. Perhaps the adrenaline of sneaking out at night for the first time in her life was turning her into a whole different, carefree, reckless person – but she didn't care about that, either. She didn't care about _anything_.

Overhead, a full moon glowed silver over an infinite black sky. The night was eerily quiet and still, but hers to conquer. It was close to midnight and she was in the outskirts of the city, with nowhere fun to go and with no one fun to join her, but that was okay. She felt like running until her lungs burned tonight. And about being alone… well, she was getting used to that amazingly fast.

* * *

><p>Sasuke took his seat at the table with his family and Hinata's. "I'm sorry I took so long," he said, offering his most charming smile to his future father-in-law.<p>

"Well, you missed basically the entire dinner, Sasuke. Where were you?" Hiashi asked from the head of the long mahogany table, and although he was smiling back, his gray gaze was murderous. Clearly, he thought he was too important to be left waiting. Sasuke suppressed the need to roll his eyes.

"I was in the bathroom."

"Really? Doing _what_?"

"Dad!" Hinata intervened, giving her father an angry look. "Leave him alone." She clearly just wanted to save Sasuke from an embarrassing situation, and he liked her a little more because of that.

"I was just asking!" But the girl's words seemed to dissipate the man's impertinence, if only for now. "Well, it doesn't matter anymore. We were just talking about whether our clans will morph into one when you marry Hinata, Sasuke. I said it isn't such a good idea. This system of having two representative clans in the country seems to be working out just fine for us."

"And I said it seemed more convenient to join them," Sasuke's father said from the opposite head of the table, calmly eating his dessert: two balls of vanilla ice cream drenched in chocolate syrup and a cherry on top. "A single representative clan would save a lot of time, money and energy. Besides, since an Uchiha will be the Hyuga clan's leader by then, an alliance will be much easier."

Hiashi chuckled. "Oh, Fugaku. You're forgetting that as soon as your younger son says 'I do' at the altar, he will become a Hyuga. Besides, the fact that he is the man is unimportant. What does matter is that my daughter is the heiress, the _real _leader, not him. What would you say if Itachi became a No Subaku instead of the other way around?"

"It would not be as senseless, since Temari is actually the heiress of her clan, the first born," Fugaku replied, his face still blank but his tone harder. "But what actually matters, Hiashi, is which clan needs an heir more urgently than the other. The No Subakus have two other sons; the oldest of them can be the future leader. But Itachi _must_ be the future leader of the Uchihas. Meanwhile, Sasuke can create a strong bond between my clan and yours by marrying your daughter."

_As if we were just tools_, Sasuke thought, clenching his jaw. He glanced at his brother, wondering if he was also getting a headache thanks to this stupid conversation. When their eyes met, Itachi mouthed, "Sakura?" Sasuke shook his head once and gave him a look that he hoped would tell everything.

"I'm not saying Hinata wouldn't be the rightful leader of the Hyugas," their father continued, "or that my son would take her place just because he's male. I am saying that since he will be – I correct my mistake – a _former_ Uchiha, becoming one with Itachi's clan will be the smart thing to do."

Hiashi put his hands together in front of his face and pondered for a minute. Sasuke took this chance to discreetly pull out the pen and the piece of paper from his pocket and start writing. Beside him, Hinata saw what he was doing but pretended to ignore it. _You're a sweetheart, but you're not for me,_ he thought.

By the time Hiashi made up his mind, Sasuke had already passed his brother the small note under the table. "I think we should discuss this matter later, when I haven't just eaten two thighs of turkey and drank three cups of wine," the Hyuga said as Itachi read.

Fugaku laughed and agreed, and everything was jokes and good humor once again, except between the Uchiha brothers. Now they both knew something very bad had happened, and they needed to fix it before it got worse.

* * *

><p>It was Saturday night, Ino didn't have a thing to worry about now that Sakura was safe with the Uchihas, and there were places and parties to attend. Of course, the blonde had called up some friends – the kind that only liked her when she was drunk and only hung out with her at weekend nights –, put on her best party outfit and went out. She hadn't even bothered to ask her parents for permission. They knew she deserved a party now more than ever.<p>

Ino Yamanaka had kept many secrets from Sakura and TenTen back when they were in high school. Her being a vampire and all that hadn't been the only one. What none of her best friends hadn't, still didn't and would probably never _know_ was that she had a social life outside the things she used to do with them and that she went to many more parties and knew many more people than they thought she did.

The only reason Ino had kept this alternative life of hers hidden was because this life was her vampire life, the people she knew were all vampires, and the daiquiris she got drunk with were spiked with blood most of the time.

However, the blonde heiress didn't frequent this alternative world of hers very often, only when she was desperate to relieve some stress; and if she did, she usually did it right after she'd finished hanging out with her oblivious friends early or when she called in 'sick'. Sometimes she felt guilty for lying, but almost always, she forgot about it after the third tequila shot.

Tonight, Ino was finally free of concerns, though. She could tell Sakura about her alternative life any time, now that she was aware of the vampire world, but she didn't think the girl would be remotely interested. She still had to hide it all from TenTen, but she barely saw the brunette anymore, so whatever. Ino was free, young and desperate for some fun, and that was all she cared about right now…

Until her cell phone started to buzz as she was on the middle of her second Bloody Mary and of a conversation with a very cute guy she hoped to hook up with later. At first she thought it was her imagination, but then she realized her purse _was_ vibrating. "Give me a sec," she interrupted the hottie and pulled out the phone. The screen read UNKOWN NUMBER. Intrigued, she answered, "Hello? Who is this?"

"Ino." It was Sasuke. She almost fell off her stool. "It's me."

"I know it's you!" She turned to the guy waiting for her and said, "Honey, I need to go. See you later, alright?"

"What?" Sasuke asked. "Don't call me honey, Ino. And don't go!"

"I wasn't talking to you, Sasuke. Don't be a dumbass." Ignoring the cute guy's complaints, the blonde hopped off her seat and made her way towards the bar's exit. Once she was outside, she continued, "I was _just_ talking to a very hot boy and I'm kind of tipsy, so I hope you're calling me for a _very_ good reason, Sasuke. Is everything alright?"

"Not really…"

His tone set off an alarm in her head. "What? Why? Where's Sakura? Is she okay?"

"I don't know. She's… she's gone."

Ino's heart skipped a few beats. "Gone? WHERE?"

"Calm down…"

"NO, I WON'T CALM DOWN, ASSHOLE! WHERE IS MY COUSIN?!"

"I said I don't fucking know!" Sasuke yelled back. "Less than half an hour ago, something happened. And then, like five minutes later, I went to her room and it was _empty_. I searched all over the mansion, and she's not here. Her room's window was open. I think she climbed out and… escaped."

She was breathing heavily and rage was pumping adrenaline thought her veins. "What the _fuck_, Sasuke? You guys were supposed to make sure she was okay! You _said_ you would do that. What if she didn't escape, huh? What if someone broke in and _kidnapped_ her? What if the…" she lowered her voice so that the by-passers wouldn't hear her, "vampire hunters did it?"

"It's not very probable. I smelled the room and I caught no one else's scent but hers. Also, we were just down the stairs. I think we would've heard the struggle."

"Well, you didn't hear her fucking sneak out!" She took a deep breath. "Alright, alright. We gotta focus. You said you last saw her less than half an hour ago, so even if she ran, she must not be very far from the mansion. You go out immediately and look around. I'm in the center of the city right now, near the hospital Tsunade is in, so I'll drop by and tell the nurses to call me if they see Sakura there; she might just want to see her aunt. Then I'll go to her house and wait there in case she appears. Meet me there if you don't have any success."

"Okay," Sasuke said. "I've already told everyone else that knows about her and asked them look around too, so we might have it all covered."

"That's good," she sighed. "Now let's just hope she isn't crazy enough to have in mind leaving the city tonight."

* * *

><p>Not even in her wildest dreams did Sakura see herself running by a busy road at night, wearing only her pajamas, and totally not scared of what she was doing. It was very odd, but even though she felt broken inside, she also felt uncharacteristically brave. Maybe giving up on trying at life had made her courage finally appear.<p>

She had run by the road as cars sped by her for almost an hour, her feet moving so fast they barely touched the pavement. No driver seemed to mind her, and she didn't mind any of them either. They were all too caught up on driving, perhaps, and she was too caught up on the brisk air blowing in the opposite direction she was running, on the smell of the night upon her, and on the feelings bubbling up in her chest.

Sakura _liked_ this thoughtlessness. Where had it been all her life?

When she finally decided to stop, she was near the center of the city, probably only six blocks away from her aunt's hospital. She hadn't had a destiny in mind when she had decided to escape, but it seemed like her legs brought her here without bothering to ask for her brain's opinion. That was fine, though. Visit hours were over, but she could sneak in with this new agility of hers. She wanted to tell someone how this freedom felt – and who was a better listener than a comatose woman?

She wanted to keep running, but there were more people in these streets, and she seemed strange enough in her pink-and-white pajamas. So she walked, her arms crossed, her hood on to hide her messy hair and her gaze taking in on everything surrounding her: the strangers' faces, the colorful lights, the familiar stores and restaurants flanking the sidewalk. It was a beautiful night, in a beautiful city, and she was alone and sad but trying to enjoy the moment.

Suddenly, she spotted her favorite coffee shop. In there, an eternity ago, Ino had told her and TenTen about the Uchihas and the job they were offering them. Then, they had talked about other stuff, like their old high school friends, the new clothes they had bought and the latest episode of their favorite TV show.

_Look away._ She did. _Don't remember_. She tried. _Don't cry. _She tried harder.

"Sakura?"

Startled, she spun around. Wearing a black scarf, a gray jacket and jeans, the guy she had met last Saturday at the party stood behind her. His name was Sai, she recalled. And he was nice, although he had a creepy smile and he looked a lot like Sasuke. _Sasuke._

"Hi!" she said a little too cheerfully. "Sai, right? How's it going?"

He gave her that weird little smile that never reached his eyes. "Hi. It's nice to see you again. I'm doing good, and you?" He looked down at her clothes and chuckled. "Did you sneak out of a pajama party?"

Sakura chuckled too and tried to hide her embarrassment. "Maybe."

"That's cool. Hey, I was just about to get some coffee. Care to join me?"

"Oh. Um, sorry, Sai. I don't have any money. I forgot my wallet at the pajama party, I guess."

His smile widened. "That's okay; I'll buy it for you." She started shaking her head. "No, really, it's okay! Come on, just a few minutes… I hate having coffee alone."

"I'd feel like you are buying my company or something," Sakura said, but she was smiling.

"We can pretend I am, if you want to."

She sighed, wondering whether to hate or love his friendliness. "Fine. But I'll pay you back as soon as possible, I promise."

Sai laughed, put a hand on her back and guided her into the coffee shop.

* * *

><p>It was almost unbelievable how naïve the half breed was. Sai just had to offer her a smile, free coffee and a repertory of very silly jokes to gain her trust. He had thought she would be a bit harder to convince than that, to be honest. At least now he knew what to expect and how to handle her.<p>

"Long story short: my family over protects me and I've had enough of feeling like a burden," she was saying. Their cups of coffee sat on the table between them, empty and long-forgotten. "It might sound like I'm just a stupid, ungrateful brat but – seriously, I'm under too much pressure. I needed to break free, so I did. And that's how I ended up here, talking to you." She smiled wistfully. "I'm glad, though. I really needed to let it out."

Sai nodded sympathetically. Inside, he was wondering who her so-called family was. He knew enough about her: her parents were dead, Tsunade had taken care of her ever since but was now comatose, and she somehow ended up working for the Uchihas. Could it be that the Uchihas were the ones she considered her family now? Were they involved in this? She wasn't giving him details. Sai would have to make a few more questions.

"So, tell me about you now," she said before he could start. "I've talked enough."

If he was good at one thing more than at anything else, it was at making up perfect lies in only a couple of seconds. "Fair enough," he said, leaning his elbows on the table. "Well, I'm studying art history, I live alone in an apartment not too far from here, and I was supposed to be on a date right now, but she never showed up, so I decided to get a coffee to ease my sorrows."

"So poetic," she giggled. "Alright. And how come you were at the party that night?"

This time it took him a little longer to find a good excuse. "Well, because of that same girl, actually. She's the daughter, niece or granddaughter – I can't recall – of one of the politicians there. She wanted to go, but not alone, so I went with her. I never let her down… and look what I got from that."

She grimaced. "Love sucks, huh?"

He smiled. "Kind of. What actually do suck, though, is people. But whatever, life goes on." He took the chance, then. "Now's your turn: why were you there at the party? I mean, I know you were working, but only that? Were you a waitress, or an under-cover spy of the government? I'm intrigued."

The half breed laughed and she was about to answer, when a worker of the coffee shop arrived to their table and said, "Guys, sorry, but the shop is about to close. It's almost midnight."

Quickly, the two of them apologized and headed for the door, realizing at loud that time had flown as they talked. _Oh well_, he thought, _I'm going to have to proceed with the next step of the plan_.

Sai had already paid the check. As he opened the door for her, the half breed promised she would pay him back soon. They stood in front of the coffee shop as the worker inside locked the door and then turned around the sign hanging from the glass, so that it now read SORRY, WE'RE CLOSED.

"It's fine, Sakura. Take as long as you want."

"You're a really nice guy." She put her hoodie on and smiled. "Well, it was really great to talk to you. You've made this crappy night a bit better, so thank you."

He realized she was saying goodbye and raised his eyebrows. "Oh. Sweet… But hey, let me give you a ride home. It's dangerous for you to be walking around alone at this hour of the night."

The half breed suddenly seemed uneasy. "Ah, thank you," she said quietly. "But you have done enough for me tonight, Sai. I don't want to bother y-"

"Sakura, it's okay!" he insisted, growing exasperated. "God, do you always make people _beg_ to let them be nice to you, instead of just being grateful?"

Her expression shadowed for a second. Then she said, "That's not it. I just-"

"I was just kidding," he interrupted, noticing he had somehow touched a soft spot. "Look, I just think it's too late for a girl to be by herself, and I really don't mind spending a bit more gas tonight. Let me be a gentleman, please. However, if you _really_ want me to beg, I will, Sakura. I will."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't. You're right. I accept. Give me a ride home, please."

Sai smiled. "It'd be my pleasure."

* * *

><p>The emergency key was still in the same plant pot it had always been. Ino pulled it out, dusted the dirt off and used it to unlock the door. Once inside, she smelled the air in case there was anyone else in there, but of course, Sakura's house was as empty as she'd left it a week ago. That was fine. Ino would wait here for either her cousin or Sasuke and the others, and meanwhile she would have the chance to relive some memories.<p>

She went to the kitchen, where she and Sakura had once almost started a fire while trying to bake a cake, and to the living room, where they had watched countless sci-fi movies. Then, she walked upstairs and entered the pink-haired girl's bedroom, which remained practically intact and still smelled of her. Nostalgia washed over her. Ino had shared so many secrets, jokes and tears in here... Where had they all gone?

Suddenly, she heard something outside. Pushing her feelings away, she scooted towards the bedroom's window and peaked into the night. There was a black car parked in front of the house, which engine had just been killed. Ino narrowed her eyes, trying to get a good look of the driver… but she forgot about the driver when she saw a flash of pink inside the car. _Sakura!_

As silently as she could, Ino hurried down the stairs and peaked through the window in the living room, from where she would be able to see and hear better. Someone with a pink head was in that car: it was unmistakable. The other person had dark hair, pale skin… a guy? Sasuke? No, this guy's hair was shorter. Who was he, then? Why was Sakura with him?

The blonde stopped thinking, closed her eyes and just listened.

"Thank you for the ride and everything, Sai. Seriously." That was Sakura's voice, faint but clearly hers.

"Thank you, too," the guy replied. "Especially for not making me beg you to accept my kindness."

Sakura laughed good-naturedly. Ino frowned; she had a bad feeling about this. "You're welcome. Anyways, I'm tired and, in spite of how much I enjoyed this wild night, it's time to get some sleep."

"Sleep tight," the guy said. There was a long pause, and then suddenly, Sakura shrieked.

_Oh, fuck!_

Ino crossed the living room in a second, put her hand on the doorknob – and then she froze as the guy said, "Listen to me very well, you fucking disgusting creature. This is the night you die."

* * *

><p><span>Notes<span>: Thaaaanks for your reviews, seriously, I love them!


	32. The attempt of murder

**Chapter thirty one**

_The attempt of murder_

Three things happened at the same time: she screamed; Sai's free hand – the one that wasn't painfully circling her right wrist – flew towards her throat; and the door of her house burst open. In that quick second, Sakura had time to think: _Of course something like this would happen. What was I thinking when I offered this stranger my trust?_

As Sai's iron fingers gripped her throat, she saw the silhouette of a person running out of the house and towards the car. But by the time she made out the person's face among the darkness, it was too late: she was already being choked to death.

* * *

><p>Ino wasn't thinking clearly. Horror, desperation and frenzy were clouding her good judgment. That was why she was stupid enough to smash her fist right through the car's window.<p>

But it was worth it. She managed to break through the glass and get a grasp of the guy's throat. Her knuckles were bloody and her bones hurt like hell, but she strangled the guy as hard as possible, making him lose his grip on Sakura's neck. Said girl frantically gasped for air for a few moments, like a fish out of the water, and then she reacted and opened the door.

Once Sakura was out of the car, Ino made the mistake of relaxing a little. The guy whose throat she squeezed – _Sai_, Sakura had called him; and now that Ino could see his face, she recognized him as the guy Sakura had been talking to on Saturday's party; Ino had _known_ there was something wrong about him! –, took the opportunity to raise his hand and put his pale, slender fingers around her wrist.

Bone cracked loudly and agony shot up her arm. Ino hollered, mostly out of shock. She knew for a fact that vampire bones were harder than human bones, yet this guy, who _looked_ totally human despite all, had managed to give her a _fracture_ even while he was being _strangled._

The blonde staggered backwards and fell on butt. Her arm throbbed with pain and she felt dizzy, as if she were about to faint. _Not now_, she pleaded her body as she watched the car's door open and Sai stepped out. He looked down at her, and when she saw into his cold black eyes, she confirmed it: he wasn't normal, human or as inoffensive as she'd expected. This… _being_ right here was something she couldn't deal with alone.

* * *

><p>It was his entire fault; he knew it. If he hadn't been so harsh, if he hadn't yelled at her, she wouldn't have escaped. She hadn't been kidnapped; he knew very well that <em>he<em> had pushed her into _leaving_. He had caused this problem that had him, his parents, his brother, his teacher, his best friend and Ino looking around the city like crazy.

Sasuke finally understood what it was like to worry everyone because of his own acts. He finally understood Sakura. Now, he wanted apologize to her. He wanted her back.

It was past midnight. A minute ago, Sasuke had sent Ino a text message saying he was on her way to meet her where they had agreed, and now, under the watchful eye of the huge, silver moon hovering up high, he drove through the empty, poor-lit streets of Sakura's neighborhood. Shizune had given him the address through her scared tears. At the memory, the pang of guilt in his chest intensified. He wished he could apologize to her and to everyone else for being responsible of this problem, but he couldn't bear to publically carry the blame. He was a coward.

At last, he was nearing the house. He made a left turn and instantly spotted the pale-yellow, two-story-tall house at the end of the block. As he slowly drove towards it, he noticed there was a car parked in front of it. He wondered if perhaps it belonged to one of the neighbors… but then he saw the tall, dark haired guy that was getting out of the car and walking towards the house. Who the hell was he?

Sasuke slowed down and watched, confused, as the guy took a few steps forward and then kicked the ground in front of him, which Sasuke couldn't see because of some bushes. He noticed the guy didn't move as crudely as a human – but not as smoothly and neatly a vampire, either. Something wrong was going on here...

But before he could react, he caught movement from behind the black car, and suddenly, Sakura appeared by the suspicious guy's side and punched him in the face, sending him to the ground. Sasuke's breath caught in his throat, both because of the bizarreness of the situation and because of seeing Sakura again.

In that moment, Sakura looked up and saw him. Sasuke thought she would be displeased to see him – but instead, she started waving her arms in the air and calling his name, desperate relief flooding her face.

* * *

><p>The world was bleary and it tilted from side to side. Ino tried to get up, but she couldn't move half of her body. For a terrifying moment, she wondered if she'd cracked a bone in her back and was left paralyzed, if she would have to spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair, if she would never be able to run and walk and dance again…<p>

But then she heard a groan. She blinked her eyes several times and looked down at her immobilized body. There was big black lump over her, and she realized it had legs, arms and a dark-haired head. It was Sai. He had fallen on top of her and couldn't stand up. She was alright.

"Ino." The blonde looked up and saw Sakura's blurry, concerned face looming over her. "Ino, come on! Sasuke is here. Let's get out of here."

The vampire tried to squirm off from under the semi-conscious young man, but she moved her right arm in the wrong way and her wrist screamed in pain – and so did she. Sakura kneeled down in front of her, saying her name and other stuff she was in too much distress to comprehend, and Sai was still groaning.

Suddenly, Sasuke appeared in the hazy scene, wearing a bewildered expression. He asked Sakura something, and she answered something else. Ino wished she could understand what they were saying. She knew they were speaking her language and everything, but her mind just could not concentrate on the meaning of their words. Besides, everything was so fuzzy, and her head felt _so_ light…

Sakura's scream brought her back to reality: "Stay with us, Ino!" Then, she felt a hand put her good arm around strong, broad shoulders, and soon she was being pulled out from under Sai and to her feet. Her legs were too weak, though, so whoever had helped her up – _Sasuke_, she realized once she recognized the smell he emanated, _of course_ –, had to half carry her, half drag her away, first into a car, and then into utter darkness.

* * *

><p>Sasuke closed the door behind Sakura and then hurried into the driver's seat. He started the engine, turned the car around and went back the way he came, pushing his feet into the accelerator deeper than he was supposed to.<p>

"Oh my God," Sakura said from the backseat as he sped down the streets. "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God."

"Is Ino alright?" he asked, quickly glancing at the rearview mirror to check if the guy had regained consciousness and was following them. Luckily, the streets behind were dark and empty; there was no sign of him.

"I think her right wrist is broken," Sakura answered. "Oh my God. What _was _that guy?"

"Well, I could ask the same to you! You were with him before Ino found you, weren't you? Who the fuck is he?"

She took a shaky breath. "His name's Sai. I met him at Saturday's party. I found him little after I escaped from the mansion. He bought me coffee, acted so nice I kind of started to trust him, and then he offered me a ride home. I couldn't let him take me to the mansion, of course, so I lied and said I still lived in my house. I planned on walking back to the mansion once he was gone or something. But then he tried to… _kill me_. And then Ino showed up and he hurt her, and then I punched him, and then _you_ showed up."

"Why did you escape, Sakura?" Sasuke mumbled, glaring at the road. "We have been looking for you everywhere. You said you are tired of bothering us, but by trying not to do it, you just turn into a very heavy burden."

"Shut up!" she snapped. "This isn't the moment, can't you see?! My cousin is passed out and hurt, I'm in my _fucking_ pajamas, and some guy I thought was nice and normal turned out to be a fucking psychopath that tried to murder me tonight!" She gulped and lowered her voice. "And I think… I think he knows what I am, because he called me a disgusting creature. The vampire hunters must have sent him. They've found me…"

He reduced the speed, certain they had left Sai far behind. He heard Sakura's soft sobs, but didn't dare to look at her through the rearview mirror; he didn't want to see her cry right now.

The urban landscape morphed into a simple road flanked by dark, mysterious woods as they neared the outskirts of the city. After a long moment of clenching his jaw and struggling to say something that wouldn't upset her again, Sasuke finally started, "Saku-"

A heavy weight fell upon the hoods of the car and Sakura screamed. When Sasuke recognized it was Sai who had landed on his car and was now blocking the windshield's view, he almost lost control of the steering wheel. The car swayed from side to side, but grinning sardonically, Sai held on and managed not to fall off.

"Shit!" Sasuke hissed, turning off the road and deciding he had to get the guy off the car, or else they would have an accident.

As soon as the car stopped moving, though, it was Sakura who immediately climbed out to face Sai. Stunned, Sasuke hurried to follow her. Was this girl crazy, thinking she could handle this situation by herself?

Sai hopped off the car's hoods, landing gracefully on his feet – almost like a vampire, Sasuke noticed for the second time, but not quite. Was he a vampire hunter? Sakura had said she suspected the vampire hunters had sent him, which was logical if he wanted to kill her. Sasuke had never personally met a vampire hunter, but he knew they were stronger, faster and more agile than the average human. Could it be that Sai was the first one he ever met?

"You have a _very_ nice right hook, half breed," the pale guy laughed, touching his bruised cheek. "You didn't let me down on at least that."

"How do you know what I am?" Sakura asked, her voice quivering but her pose proud. Then, she voiced Sasuke's doubt: "Are you a vampire hunter?"

He shook his head. "Not really, but close."

"You're not a vampire, either," Sasuke said, standing close to Sakura so that he could push her out of the way in case Sai unexpectedly attacked.

"Oh, we've got two smart-asses here!" the other young man said. "It's my lucky night."

"What do you want from me?!" Sakura shouted out of abrupt frustration.

Sai sighed miserably, like he was disappointed of her. "I already told you earlier, half breed. I just want to kill you. It's my job."

"Well, it is not going to be an easy one," Sasuke said, taking a step forward, "because I won't let you touch her, fucker."

Sai stared at him for a long moment, a ghost of a smile playing on his thin lips. "You're an Uchiha, aren't you?" Without waiting for an answered, he said, "That's interesting. I wasn't so sure your family was involved in this, but now I am. Thanks."

"I am not my family," Sasuke said through gritted teeth. "So leave them out of this."

"We'll see." He looked back at Sakura. "I'm not in the mood for killing you anymore, half breed. But I'll be back very soon." With that, he turned around and walked away, calmly and even whistling at first, but then, without notice, he dashed out of sight, his body a blur image that vanished into the woods in a blink of an eye.

"What is he?" Sakura whispered faintly, leaning against the car for balance.

"That doesn't matter," Sasuke said solemnly. "The important thing is that he is the one with the task to kill you."

* * *

><p>It started raining as they drove back to the Uchiha mansion. Raindrops splattered against the windows with a soothing rhythm. The wipers moved from left to right, from right to left, clearing the view of the road. Sakura's eyelids felt heavy, but every time she zoomed out, an image of Sai's wicked smile – so different from the small, fake ones he had offered before – flashed across her mind, injecting fear into her blood and jolting her into full consciousness. Truth was that she half expected him to drop upon the car's hoods once again at any moment.<p>

When they finally arrived to the mansion, she didn't realize until she noticed Sasuke was taking his seatbelt off. "We're here," he called quietly over his shoulder. "Is Ino still unconscious?"

Groggily, Sakura sat up right and glanced down at the blonde's head, which she had put on her lap. Ino's eyes were closed, her pink lips were parted and she looked so peaceful that, if it weren't for the heavy make-up, she would have seemed much younger than she really was. Sakura noticed then that her cousin was wearing a party outfit: a fur jacket, a red mini dress and black high heels. She wondered where she had been earlier, but she guessed that subject was currently irrelevant. "Yeah, she is," she told Sasuke. "Help me carry her out?"

Wordlessly, Sasuke got out of the car, opened the door for her, let her out and then carefully took Ino into his arms. Sakura closed the doors behind him, and then led the way from the big garage full of fancy cars to the inside of the mansion.

Sasuke had called people as they drove back, so Sakura was not surprised to find everyone who knew she was a half breed already waiting for them in the entrance hall: from Inoichi Yamanaka and the rest of the Uchihas, to Kakashi, Shizune and even Naruto. The first to see her was Mikoto.

"Sakura!" The black-haired woman hurried over to her and hugged her tightly. "I'm so glad you're back!"" she exclaimed into her hair, sounding so sincere that a knot formed in the girl's throat. How could that beautiful, perfect woman care so much about someone like her? Everything would be much easier for Sakura if she didn't…

Mikoto stepped back, and then it was Shizune's turn to hug her. The young woman's face was swollen from crying, and as she ran towards Sakura, she burst out in tears again. Sakura let her embrace her and even patted her back a little, but didn't dare to look her in the eye. Instead, she watched as Sasuke said something to Inoichi and then gave Ino to Itachi, who proceeded to take the unconscious girl upstairs, surely to attend her.

Shizune let go after another long squeeze and stepped back. She took the handkerchief Kakashi offered her, wiped off her tears and said shakily, "I thought – I thought you'd been kidnapped or something. I was so scared..."

"It's okay," the green-eyed girl managed quietly. She was gradually starting to regret her recklessness. Sasuke had been _so_ right: by trying not to be a burden, she did the exact opposite thing. And maybe Sai – that freaking weirdo – was right, too: she made people beg to let them be nice to her instead of just being thankful, and that was just… twisted.

_Why am I like this? I shouldn't be_, she thought, chewing on her lower lip_. I only cause trouble to these people... I should just die already. But if I die, they are going to suffer and – goddammit, I _don't_ want them suffer anymore because of me!_

Mikoto was explaining to her: "As soon as Sasuke and Itachi told us you were gone, we made up an excuse to make the Hyugas leave, contacted everyone we could and started looking for you. We spent a good hour looking, and then Sasuke called and said he'd found you and you were on your way to the mansion. We were so relieved, Sakura. We thought something-"

"Mother," Sasuke interrupted, softly laying a hand on the woman's shoulder. Mikoto gave him a questioning look. Sasuke turned to everyone else and announced, "Sakura wasn't kidnapped. She escaped. That is off the real point, though, so let's question it later."

"What happened, Sasuke?" Inoichi asked disquietly. "How exactly did my daughter broke a wrist?"

"I think I should explain that," Sakura said, cutting Sasuke off. Then, she started relating the events of the night. She kept her eyes on the ground, partly ashamed because she knew it was her fault she had almost died tonight. If only she hadn't been so stupid and escaped, if only she had stayed here, safe and sound…

When she was finished, Sasuke quickly added, "We're pretty sure the vampire hunters sent him, but he said he wasn't a vampire hunter himself. However, he broke Ino's wrist, which means he's not human at all. Still, when Sakura punched him, he dropped unconscious, which I find illogical because Sakura isn't that strong."

Sakura remembered how that had been like. As soon as she'd gotten out of the car, she'd hid beneath it in an impulsive act of cowardice. Her neck had hurt a lot and she had still not been able to breathe very well. But then she had heard Ino scream, and that made something inside her brain click: her cousin had saved her life, and now she had to do the same for her; it was her duty. The realization gave her courage. She scrambled back on her feet and, in an adrenaline-fueled rage, she connected her fist as hard as she could with Sai's cheek. She'd been very surprised to see how good the punch had been – but then she saw Sasuke's car, and she hadn't given it more thought.

Sasuke sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair. "Anyways, we just know that he's the one supposed to kill Sakura and that he promised to come back for her. The rest is a mystery."

Finally, Sakura dared to look at everyone's expressions. Kakashi observed her carefully, as if trying to decipher how _she_ felt now; the Uchihas and Inoichi seemed concerned and thoughtful; Shizune was crying again, and Naruto just looked sad.

After a cold moment of silence, an avalanche of questions, opinions and ideas came over her. She tried to answer everything and to listen to everyone, but soon, it was just too much. They all had different priorities and not everyone agreed on the only thing she wanted: to be sent away, far from them, both to hide from Sai and to keep them all safe from other threats. Ino had already been hurt trying to protect her, and Sakura wouldn't let that happen to anyone else.

But they wouldn't even listen to her. Fugaku and Inoichi were busy planning out how to protect their clans and keep their prestige intact; Kakashi insisted they had to keep training her so that she could fight for herself; Mikoto worried about her safety without really offering a good strategy; Shizune just wept quietly, barely paying attention to her surroundings; and Sasuke was the _only_ _one_ who agreed she had to be out of the country as soon as possible, but wouldn't let her actively participate in the planning of it. They formed a circle of discussion and simply left Sakura out of it, probably because they thought she was too callow to handle this grave situation. She didn't really blame them; after all, she _had_ proved her immaturity tonight by sneaking out of the mansion and almost getting herself killed.

So Sakura just sat on the couch and miserably watched everyone argue about her future. But she didn't bother to listen any further to what they had to say; instead, she focused on struggling not to cry. She tried to scare the tears away by remembering something nice from her happier past, but suddenly, even her best memories felt empty, as if they were someone else's.

"Hey." Someone touched her shoulder, and she tore her watery green eyes off the scene before her to look up into Naruto's warm blue eyes. She'd almost forgotten he was here, too. "Wanna get away from here?" he asked, smiling softly.

She let out a humorless chuckle. "I don't think sneaking out twice tonight is a very good idea, Naruto."

"Duh, I don't mean away from here,_ here_. I mean upstairs or something. You look like you're getting a headache from all this."

Only then did she realize that yes, her head was starting to hurt. "Oh. Well, I don't think the others would mind. They're completely ignoring me right now."

Naruto grinned. She rose to her feet and followed him towards the stairs. No one but Sasuke noticed she was leaving. When their eyes met, she felt heart tumble. In her mind, she suddenly heard him say again: "_I won't let you touch her, fucker." _

Her mind started racing._ Why? Why are you doing this, Sasuke? Do you care about me? You _shouldn't_. I only make things worse, as you said. I only put you and your family at risk. I'm a danger. I don't deserve you. I screw everything up. You cannot care about me like I care about you…_

Sasuke's eyes were bright and soft. He parted his lips to speak, but nothing came out. Brusquely, he turned around and focused back on the argument with the adults. Sakura looked away and continued walking, trying to make her heart stop pounding so hard.

* * *

><p>Ino opened her eyes to stare at a white, smooth ceiling. The fuzziness in her mind had dispelled, but she still felt a little disoriented. She noticed her right wrist didn't hurt anymore; she raised it to take a look at it and saw it was now bandaged. For a moment she forgot how she'd broken it, but when she remembered, her pulse quickened. Suddenly disconcerted, she tried to sit up, but she moved too fast and the world started spinning.<p>

"Easy there." Unexpectedly, Itachi appeared beside her, easing her back into a horizontal position. What was he doing here? Where was she? Where were Sakura and Sasuke? What had happened with Sai?

"Am I… back in the mansion?" she guessed at loud, closing her eyes against the dizziness.

"Yes, in the study," Itachi answered. "Sasuke brought you. He brought Sakura, too."

"She's alright?"

"I think. She just looked shaken. How's your wrist?"

Ino looked at it again. "Awfully broken, I bet. It doesn't really hurt, but my fingers are numb. Did you bandage it?"

"Yeah," Itachi said, and she thanked him awkwardly. "No problem. It i_s_ broken pretty badly, so you'll have to go to a real doctor soon, though. I did what I could, but then again, I'm just a student."

"Okay. Would you mind helping me sit up?" she asked. The young man nodded and put a hand on her back as she carefully pushed herself up from the couch, leaning on her good hand. She realized with annoyance that, until the broken bone healed, she wouldn't be able to write again, and for the first time, she wished she had been left-handed. "My head hurts like hell," she said once she was settled, fixing her inconveniently-short dress.

"Here, this painkiller might help," Itachi said, handing her a small white pill and a glass full of water. The blonde took them gratefully. "I suppose that, when you passed out, you hit your head against the ground. Maybe the impact, plus the excruciating pain of your wrist, was what made you faint. So you'll have to tell the doctor to check your head out, too."

"Got it," Ino mumbled once the pill was down her throat, grimacing as she tried to move her insensible fingers.

Itachi was sitting on the edge of the coffee table, his elbows on his knees. He was quiet for a long moment as she finished the glass of water, his eyes distant and pondering. At last, he spoke up softly and told her what he had heard Sakura and Sasuke explain downstairs and he bandaged her wrist and waited for her to wake up. Ino listened, finally finding out what happened after she fainted. When he got to the last part, she wondered why Sai had supposedly stopped being in the mood to kill. It was kind of suspicious.

"Well, what a shitty night, huh?" she said when Itachi finished. "I can't believe that instead of just going to the bar, drinking and talking to cute guys, I ended up breaking a wrist because of some guy that tried to kill my cousin."

Itachi sighed deeply. "And he's coming back for her. I think we need to start taking things an awful lot more seriously. We must train Sakura more and figure out where to hide her in, because this place is not safe anymore."

The blonde nodded grimly, and in that moment, they heard Naruto's voice: "Oh, here you are, guys. What's up?"

They turned and watched the blond werewolf lightheartedly step through the door. Sakura followed him in, wearing sour, pensive expression. When she saw her, Ino put her glass on the floor, rose to her feet and almost lost her balance in her not-very-comfortable heels. Itachi grabbed her arm to steady her.

"Sakura," Ino said once she could stand up well. She thought of asking her how she felt, but that would be stupid; one didn't have to be a genius to guess how the green-eyed girl felt after tonight's events. So instead, Ino silently stepped towards her and put her arms around her.

Sakura didn't hug her back, but she buried her face in her neck and sighed exhaustedly. "It's okay," she said. "I'm okay." To Ino, that sounded like a big fat lie, but she didn't mind. Her cousin had the right to at least pretend she was not scared.

"Everyone downstairs has gone crazy," Naruto said, slumping on the couch Ino had just stood up from. "They're like, 'We shouldn't do this', 'We need to do that', 'We have to speak to these people', 'We need to think firstly of that' – and ugh, it was driving _me _crazy. So I took Sakura, who didn't look any more enthusiastic about being there than me, and came here to find some peace and silence and-" he yawned "-to sleep a little, dude, because it's like two a.m. and I'm _dying_."

The rest of them took seats, as well. Ino sat beside Sakura and kept a hand on her back, attempting to reassure her, to remind her she was there for her. The blue-eyed vampire would never leave her cousin alone at times like these, no matter how tiring and frustrating it was, because she knew that, if tables ever turned, Sakura would do the same for her.

Still, the dispiritedness wouldn't slip off the half breed's face, which didn't really surprise Ino. Sakura had always been hard to console; she was just too self-absorbed, too caged up in her little mind to let anything or anyone in, and Ino had long learned that trying to make her feel better was useless because Sakura always did what she wanted, when she wanted. If Sakura ever got better, she would do it by herself, with one else's help.

However, there was one person whose help Sakura would always accept and that always managed to lighten the girl's heart: Tsunade. It was terrible, though, how the woman had fallen into a comma almost right before hell broke loose in Sakura's life, when she suddenly needed her more than ever.

"Now would be a good time for Tsunade to wake up," Ino mused, smiling sadly.

Sakura looked at her with surprise, as if she had been thinking the same thing. Then, she said,"You know, I think I'd actually give anything to talk to her right now. She's practically the only one that can-" Her voice broke; she gulped. "-that can make this whole thing a little better, just by being here."

"Tsunade is your comatose aunt, right?" Naruto asked uncertainly.

Sakura nodded. "Doctors say she's supposed to wake up at any time…, but she hasn't. It's almost like she doesn't _want_ to."

"That's very odd," Itachi said, contemplating the half breed with perplexity.

Sakura nodded again, and Naruto said, "Um, maybe she needs a little push to wake up, you know? And if doctors can't do anything – if _science_ can't do anything –, then maybe something stronger, like, I don't know, _magic_, can."

Ino shot him an impatient look. That was the most stupid thing he could've said.

However, Sakura seemed to think otherwise. "Magic?" she repeated. Her eyes weren't dull and somber anymore, but shinny with interest and… hope? _Oh, no, no, no!_

The werewolf shrugged, smiling like he actually thought his idea had been great. "Sure, why not?"

"Because only wizards can do magic," Ino said angrily. "But you don't see any wizard around willing to help, do you? And don't you _dare_ suggest Shikamaru, Naruto. He's our friend and everything, but we can't go around sharing Sakura's secret whenever we feel like it."

"Might magic really work?" Sakura questioned, as if she hadn't listened to any of what Ino had just said.

"Probably," Itachi answered uneasily. "But it's not a good idea, Sakura. Ino is right: even if we trust the wizard in question, we shouldn't be telling any more people. No one but those of us who already know your secret would have a reason to not tell – or to even want to know – your secret, because, let's face it: being involved with this is dangerous, even if you're a vampire or not."

"I know that," the pink haired girl replied, standing up. "However, you guys seem to be forgetting one very special detail: it's _my_ life, _my_ secret, and _I_ choose who to share it with." She looked at Naruto. "How can I contact Shikamaru?"

* * *

><p>Sakura slept little that night, not just because of the unsettling things that had happened, but because of the nightmares. Not even when she needed rest the most did her cruel unconscious leave her alone.<p>

The withered-rose nightmare didn't come back, though. She hoped it was gone for good. In its place came a new kind of nightmare, one longer, more strange and vague.

She was in a beach. Overhead, the night sky was starless and the moon was full and scarlet. The sand was unpleasantly rough under her feet. The ocean was murky and also scarlet, probably because it reflected the moonlight. The waves crashed violently against the shore. Nothing else happened; she just admired the bizarre view for a long time.

When she woke up, it was barely dawn, which meant she'd slept less than five hours. Sakura tried to go back to sleep, but soon enough, she realized that wouldn't happen, so instead she grabbed the book of her ancestor and looked up the meanings of her new nightmare.

_Beach: Upcoming battle of brain against heart._

__Red Moon: Mysterious parts of yourself involving passion and violence will soon be revealed.__

_Murky Ocean: Fights with beloved ones in the future._

_Starless Sky: Be ready to face your deepest fears. _

Sakura sighed deeply. _Well, shit._

* * *

><p><span>Notes:<span> Hey, hope you had a nice weekend! Thanks for reviewing, it means a lot to me. :)


	33. The aura

**Chapter thirty two**

_The aura_

Sakura didn't think that telling Shikamaru on the phone, "_Oh, hi, guess what? I know wizards exist because I'm a half breed vampire and all that, and I know you're a wizard, so I need you to help me try to wake my comatose vampire aunt up_," was a good idea.

It was better to say it face to face.

"Are you sure he'll come?" she asked Naruto the day after Sai almost killed her – or actually, in the afternoon of that same day – as she paced around the study. Her legs ached from training with Itachi all morning (he had gone harder than usual on her, claiming that it was time to start taking things more seriously than ever) and she was getting a headache both from not having slept enough and from the stress. However, the anxiousness and the uncertainty she felt kept her fully alert.

"Yes, I am," Naruto answered, rolling his eyes. "I told him Sasuke and I wanted to hang out and that we had food, drinks and a brand new shogi set. That was enough to convince him. Besides, it's Sunday; I don't think that lazy bum has anything better to do."

When he mentioned Sasuke, Sakura's nervousness increased. No one but Naruto agreed with her idea of asking Shikamaru for help in something that, according to them, was not as important as the fact that there was someone out there planning to murder her. They – especially Sasuke – thought that waking Tsunade up was something secondary, while Sakura strongly believed that if Tsunade were awake, if she could help her in this situation, everything would be so much easier, because the woman would know what was best for her right now.

However, nor Sasuke's nor anyone else's opinion had mattered. Eventually, everyone had realized she wouldn't change her mind no matter what, so they had let Naruto invite Shikamaru over for her. She had an idea she really thought was going to be helpful, and she wouldn't give up until she tried.

The post-meridian sunlight spilled through the study's window, bathing the room in orange. One of the hardest days of her life was about to be over, but she still had a lot to do. Shikamaru would arrive at any moment. She repeated the speech she was going to tell him in her head over and over again.

Suddenly, the study's door opened. Ino walked in, wearing a white skirt and a blue blouse that made her eyes stand out more. "He's here," she said, unenthusiastic.

Sakura stopped pacing. Was she ready for this? What if she weren't? _Calm down_, she told herself, and turned to Naruto. "Can you bring him here, please? And don't tell him about me yet."

Nodding, the werewolf yawned, pushed his body up from the couch and headed out of the room. When he left, Ino exhaled deeply. "Do you really want to do this, Saks?" she questioned.

The half breed sat on the couch and shrugged. "I've got to help my aunt, Ino. But if this doesn't work, at least I'll know I tried all I could."

Ino looked like she wanted to say more, but she knew that would just start an argument, so instead she nodded and left the room.

Sakura sat impatiently, her knees pressed together and her fingers drumming on her thighs, and waited for Naruto to come back with Shikamaru. She hadn't slept well thanks to the nightmare and to her racing thoughts and troubled emotions. The mix of fear and anxiousness was probably all that kept her awake.

At last, she heard voices approaching the doorway: Naruto's, Shikamaru's and… Sasuke's. When the three of them stepped through the door, her heart started hammering, partly because of seeing Sasuke – who looked oh-so-handsome today in faded jeans and a perfectly-tight, black t-shirt –, but principally because this moment had arrived. _Oh, God, if you exist, please let this work out. Please, please, please…_

When Shikamaru saw her, he didn't seem very surprised. Sakura shot up to her feet as Naruto gasped dramatically and said, "Oh, Sakura! What are you _doing_ here?"

"No need to keep pretending, Naruto," she said, without taking her eyes of Shikamaru's. "Let's just go straight to the point."

"You're not just a simple maid, aren't you?" Shikamaru asked impassively.

She crossed her arms. "I'm not."

The wizard looked at his two friends. "And there is no food or shogi, is there?"

Sasuke shook his head and Naruto flashed a sheepish smile. "Sorry."

Sakura wet her lips and spoke up, "Shikamaru, I'm sorry they lied to you. They did it for me. I wanted you to come so that we could talk."

"Really?" he asked, carelessly walking past her and slumping onto the nearest couch. "How so?"

"Well," the half breed said, daring a glance at Sasuke. Although he was behaving apathetically right now, she knew he was still mad at her. Taking a deep breath, she focused back on the wizard and then, trying to sound as adult-like as possible, she recited the speech she'd prepared: "Look, I know this is really weird. I know we barely know each other. I know you suspect about my identity. But would you please give me a few minutes of your time and listen to what I have to say?"

He dragged his small, dark eyes towards her face and contemplated her. "What do you want from me?" he questioned, his voice drenched with curiosity.

"I need to ask you one favor," Sakura replied. "Two favors, actually. They're both optional, of course, so if you say no… well, it would suck, but I won't push you, okay?" He narrowed his eyes, and she went on. "Okay. I'll be as straight-forward as possible. Shikamaru…, I need you to use your magic to help me wake my comatose aunt up." His eyes widened. "Yes. I _know_ you're a wizard, and that werewolves and vampires exist, too."

He frowned. "Have you taken the Oath?"

"That's the thing humans must do when a friend, lover or relative legally tells them they're a vampire, werewolf or wizard," Sasuke explained bluntly when he noticed her perplexity, "and where they swear on their own lives to keep the secret."

Sakura nodded. Shizune had taken that Oath, she recalled, but she, of course, hadn't. "I haven't," she answered Shikamaru, "because I'm not a human. I…" Sakura inhaled profoundly. _This is it._ "I am a half breed vampire."

Sasuke listened as Sakura blurt everything out: about her Yamanaka mother, about her vampire hunter father, how she had found out about all this not long ago, about the night a vampire tracker visited and told her she had a great purpose, why she'd had to move in to the mansion, and even about Sai. Millions of emotions flashed through her bright green eyes and she narrated those things, making her look… _hauntingly beautiful_, Sasuke thought guiltily, trying unsuccessfully to tear his eyes off her.

When she finished, Sasuke expected Shikamaru to be shocked, scandalized or maybe even furious. But instead, his wizard friend leaned back, closed his eyes and smiled smugly. "I knew there was something up with you!" he exclaimed. "God, Neji is going to love this."

"Shikamaru," Sasuke said sternly, "you cannot tell _anyone_ about her."

He looked at him. "Oh. Because she is not supposed to be alive, right? And if the vampire authorities find out…, they'll kill her."

"That's a harsh way to put it," Naruto mumbled uncomfortably, "but… yeah, sort of."

"That's the second favor I want to ask from you," Sakura said, unfazed by what they had said. Maybe she had already gotten used to the ugly truth. "Please keep my secret, Shikamaru. I only told you because I had to explain how I know you're a wizard, and because I must offer you my trust in exchange of yours."

Shikamaru sighed tiredly and leaned on his knees. "This was a very risky thing to do, Sakura. If I wanted, I could go tell the vampire authorities about you right now. You cannot force me, or anyone, to keep your secret, you know?"

Her green eyes were hard and cold. "I know."

"Therefore, either you're completely nuts, or waking your aunt up is something extremely important to you."

"It is."

The wizard smirked. "Well, I admire your determination. You have my word: I won't tell anyone your secret, and I'll do what I can to help your aunt."

He offered her his hand. Sakura's expression melted into an almost-childish joy and pure relief, and she shook his hand energetically. "Thank you so much!"

The wizard half grimaced, half smiled, pulling his hand back. "Alright, alright, I get it. Now…, I'd like to get this over with as soon as possible, so… when can we go visit you aunt so that I can check what is wrong with her?"

Sakura jumped to her feet, clearly eager. "Right now, if you want to. Visit hours are until eight p.m." She looked at Sasuke, and he tried to ignore how the vivid green of her irises made his heartbeat stutter. "I can go, right?"

"I guess so," he said, shrugging. "But Sai might appear at any moment, so I'll have to go with you. Naruto, too." Said blond grinned in agreement.

"And me, too," a voice said from the doorway. Ino's. Smoothly, she stepped into the room and put her un-bandaged hand on her hip. There was a faint smile on her face. "There more, the better, right?"

* * *

><p>At dusk, Sasuke drove them to the hospital, Naruto in the co-driver seat and the rest of them in the backseat. During the fifteen-minutes-long ride, Ino and Shikamaru argued about their childhood memories, Naruto told them about the time he won an eating competition, Sasuke rolled his eyes every two minutes at what his friends said, and Sakura stared out the window at the passing cars, trees and buildings, deep in thought.<p>

Could this be it? She wondered. Could today be the day Tsunade finally woke up? Would she be able to see her aunt's pretty hazel eyes open and to hear her voice again very soon? Was Shikamaru really able to help them out? She hoped. Oh, God, she hoped so badly.

Sasuke found a spot in the hospital's parking lot and they all climbed out the car. Sakura practically ran into the building, leading the rest of them in. Her heart hammering, she got in the elevator and pressed the buttons for Tsunade's floor.

"Saks," Ino said softly as the elevator lifted them. "You can calm down now. We're here."

The green-eyed girl stopped bouncing on the balls of her feet, realizing Ino was right. "Sorry," she muttered. "I just can't wait."

The elevator's doors slid open. Containing her eagerness, Sakura stepped down the white corridor stretching before her. Tsunade's room was almost at the end of it; her room was the number four hundred and six. When they got there, Sakura stopped in front of the wooden door and glanced back at her friends, who were calmly catching up with her.

After a moment of hesitation – of preparing herself for whatever was coming next –, Sakura turned the knob and pushed the door open. Slowly, she walked in, her friends still right behind.

The room was quiet and still and it smelled strongly of antiseptic. The steady beeps of the heart monitor echoed against the buff-colored walls. Tsunade was peacefully lying on the bed, bathed in the fluorescent lights. Her beautiful golden hair was sprawled on the pillow and around her head, like a halo. Her chest rose up and down rhythmically, proving she wasn't dead, just deeply asleep.

"The last time I saw her was in her husband's funeral," Shikamaru said quietly. "That was like, ten years ago. She still looks the same…, except more serene."

His words triggered within Sakura a sudden interest on Tsunade's past . She knew too little about her aunt's dead husband; all she'd heard was very vague: that he had died of a terrible disease right on their tenth wedding anniversary and that one of the reasons Tsunade had adopted Shizune was to fill the emptiness he had left in her heart. Sakura was sure that the man had been a vampire as well, but from which clan? Had he been powerful? Had he been good? Had it been an arranged marriage? Perhaps. Sakura wanted to know, but that curiosity would have to wait for now. Maybe if Tsunade woke up – _when_ she woke up – she would tell her everything.

Shikamaru carefully walked over to the bed and watched the comatose woman do nothing. Sakura stood at the other side of the bed and studied the emotions flashing through the young man's face: nostalgia, curiosity, concern, amazement – and suddenly, utter shock.

"What is it?" Naruto asked, noticing as well.

"Her aura," the wizard whispered. "It is faint because her soul is somewhere else – something pretty normal in comatose people, don't worry –, but I can see that it has been altered by magic." He looked up and his eyes stared grimly into Sakura's. "A wizard did this to her, Sakura. I'm certain."

The blood in her veins froze.

"What," Ino breathed out. Her blue eyes were so wide that Sakura feared they would pop out.

"Wait. Hold on." Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly dismayed. "How can this be happening…? Are you a hundred percent sure, Shikamaru? Swear it!"

"I am!" the wizard exclaimed, not taking his sight off Tsunade… only he wasn't looking at her anymore; he was looking at something beyond – _within_ the woman. "Every time wizards cast a spell on another human being," he explained taciturnly, "they leave some sort of trace behind, like a giveaway, because each of us has a different… how can I call it…? Essence? Yeah, that'll do. A wizard's essence is sort of like their smell: unique, sort of influenced by their genetics, and says a lot about them. And well, I can _see_ the trace of an essence in Tsunade's aura, keeping her asleep, but alive, on purpose."

"_On purpose_," Sakura repeated. She looked down at her aunt. Why would anyone do that to her? Had it been because she was protecting a half breed and deserved a punishment? "Oh, my God…"

"But, can you recognize whose magic is it?" Naruto questioned, furrowing his brow. "Do you know who left this trace behind?"

"I am trying," he answered, and Sakura understood then why he seemed so concentrated on staring at Tsunade. "It's difficult, because it clearly doesn't belong to anyone I've known in person before… but I think I can at least get a hint. Later, I can check what wizard clan has these characteristics in their essences, and from there we can investigate further."

"But, Shikamaru, right now I don't really care about who did it," Sakura said. "What I really want is for her to wake up. Can you do that?"

Tight-lipped, he looked at her and shook his head. "Sorry, there's nothing I can do. Only the wizard who did it can take the spell off. It's sort of a rule for this kind of spells."

_No._ She felt how her heart shattered and fell into thousands of pieces. What would she do now? She had to find that wizard, but what if he or she didn't want to take the spell off? How could she force him or her to do it? Sakura wasn't strong or prepared. She was weak and hopeless. And Tsunade would never wake up because of it.

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her elbow, holding her steady. It was Sasuke. Her already broken heart staggered at the closeness of him. "Sakura," he said softly, "it's alright. We'll find a way." His eyes were two pools of black lava in which she was slowly melting. Abruptly, she felt an overwhelming yearning for his touch, his voice, his scent, his lips on hers…

_But I can't have you. I can't want you. I'll just hurt you, like I probably did with Tsunade. I'm so sorry…_

Unexpectedly, the window behind her shattered loudly as someone broke in through it. Before she could even think anything, Sasuke grabbed her arms and pulled her away right before the person landed on the exact place she'd been standing. Terror paralyzed her in place as soon she recognized him.

Sai.

* * *

><p>The half breed wasn't alone. There were not one, but <em>two<em> vampires with her _and_ a wizard _and_ a werewolf. As they momentarily froze in shock at the sight of him, Sai swept his gaze over them and tried to recognize them. The blonde Yamanaka girl was there again, the wrist he'd broken now bandaged, and so was the Uchiha boy, Sasuke. The werewolf wasn't hard to identify since he was practically identical to his father, the leader of the main werewolf clan of the country. The wizard was harder to recognize, but his identity didn't matter more that the fact that he was a _goddamn wizard_, and that would make this much harder than Sai had initially thought it would be.

Why were them here? What kind of connections did this insignificant half breed have? How many more people were involved in this? Maybe Sai had underestimated the situation. He would have to speak to his boss later.

"Sai," the half breed hissed, sneering at him. But more than hate, there was fear in her bright green eyes, and he enjoyed seeing it there.

Elegantly, Sai stood up straight and smiled. "I told you I would come back for you."

The Uchiha put an arm in front of the half breed and pushed her behind him, shielding her front Sai's view. "And I told you I wouldn't let you lay a finger on her."

Sai rolled his eyes. But his indifference was replaced by alarm when the Uchiha suddenly took the half breed in his arms, screamed, "Guys, stop him!" and leaped towards the window. The half breed shrieked as they impacted through the glass and jumped out.

Sai cursed under his breath and hurried to follow them, but the werewolf – Naruto Namizake, he recalled – grasped the collar of his shirt and held him back. "Let go of me, you fucking dog!" Sai exclaimed, scorning. In response, the blond roughly pinned him to the ground. Pieces of glass dug into the pale boy's skin and he grimaced.

"We won't let you lay a finger on her, either!" the Yamanaka vampire hissed, coming towards him, before her left fist collided with his nose. "And that was for breaking my wrist, asshole!"

His nose bleeding, Sai screeched out of pain and fury, but the agony only fueled his strength and determination. Mustering all the force he could, he struggled out of the werewolf's hold and shoved him off. Naruto had been stupidly laughing at his misery, so Sai caught him off guard. He punched his gut, doubling him over, and kicked him to the ground. Then, he turned to the Yamanaka. "You bitch," he spat, stepping towards her.

But before he could raise his fist, an invisible force paralyzed his body. Stunned, he tried to look at the wizard – this was clearly a spell –, but he couldn't even move his eyeballs.

Eventually, though, the wizard appeared beside the blonde vampire. He was smirking in a way that enraged Sai in an unspeakable way. "Sorry, but you're gonna have to stay here for a _long _time, buddy."

* * *

><p>Sakura was very certain she was going to die.<p>

But instead of her whole life, her _afterlife_ flashed before her eyes. She saw herself dead, in a coffin, in her funeral with everyone she knew there. People she'd met in school would ask how she died, and Shizune – her only family, now that Tsunade was and would stay comatose forever – would come up with something believable after hours of thinking and crying; maybe that she killed herself because she was depressed or something. People would feel bad, but would forget about her in a couple of months. And the people that did know how she'd actually died would feel bad for longer, but they would also be relieved. _She was a burden, after all,_ they'd think. _It's great that we finally got rid of her._

Somehow, all that didn't make Sakura upset. Really, she was happy to stop being a burden. She was happy to escape this terrible life of hers. She was hopeful, too, because if reincarnation existed, maybe her next life would be better.

The only good thing about this lifetime, she realized, was the way it would end: in Sasuke's arms.

All those thoughts sped through her mind in the three seconds that took them to reach the ground. She braced herself for the impact and the terrible agony, but they never came. _Maybe I had luck for the first and last time ever and my death has been so quick it was painless_, she thought. But then she realized she still felt Sasuke's hard chest against her head and she could still hear his heartbeat and his rapid breaths and, now, his quick steps.

He was running. She was okay. They were alive.

Wasn't she supposed to be relieved?

"Sakura," Sasuke said. "You alright?"

They were hurrying towards the parking lot. People around gave them odd looks, but others' opinions were the least of her worries. "Why are we not dead?" she said shakily, finally opening her eyes to look up at him. He was right there, so, so close she could just tilt her chin and their lips would meet. His eyes weren't on her, but on the path, and they were shadowed. But that was better, because if she'd been looking in them, she would've probably fainted. "We just jumped out of the fifth story, dammit!"

He finally looked down at her, and she gasped. If he had been handsome before, right now he was breath-takingly beautiful. His ivory skin gleamed in the darkness, his features were sharper yet more delicate, and his eyes….

_Jesus Christ,_ she thought. Sasuke's eyes weren't inky black, like the sky overhead, anymore; they were scarlet – like the door, the rose, the blood, the labyrinth, the moon and the ocean – like her nightmares. Was it an effect of the light? Was she hallucinating?

Uncomfortable under her stunned gaze, Sasuke looked back at the path. "I'm a vampire," he grumbled. "I can jump from a building and land on my feet well enough. What, did you think I was trying to kill ourselves?"

Sakura took a deep breath and closed her eyes. When Sasuke had suddenly picked her up bridal-style, she'd instantly put her arms around his neck for support. Now, she thought she could take them off, but honestly, she didn't want to. She liked the sensation of hugging him. Hoping he wouldn't mind, or notice, she leaned her head against his chest, breathed in his smell and enjoyed the moment as much as she could. "Are your eyes really red or have I lost my mind?" she asked softly.

"They _are_ red. They get like this when my instincts are… on. It's an Uchiha thing. I'll explain more about it later."

"Okay... What are we going to do now?"

"We're going back to the mansion," he answered. "And then, we're getting you out of this city as soon as possible."

* * *

><p><span>Notes<span>: The end is coming! But don't worry, I'm pretty sure there'll be a (surprise, surprise!) second part. Thanks for reviewing, love you all. :)


	34. The decision

**Chapter thirty three**

_The decision_

Sai was born and raised to fight. He was trained by the best vampire hunters of the entire country and even a few foreign ones. He could punch, run, swim, jump, kill, spy and lie better than any agent of any government. He was specialized in inhuman creatures, as well. So of course, breaking this stupid little paralyzing spell could not be a great challenge, could it?

It wasn't. He just needed to concentrate for a minute, while the others were too busy blocking the door to keep any of the frightened nurses from joining their little reunion, and unchain his body from the spell. Magic was insubstantial energy that could affect only substantial things, so the key to fight it was to use one's own insubstantial energy against it. Sai pictured the invisible tendrils immobilizing him and his own invisible force pushing the tendrils away, just like he had been taught so many years ago.

Then, he was free.

His intention was to pretend he was still under the spell for a few more moments and then attack when the others were distracted, but he accidently let out the breath he'd been holding, and Naruto noticed. Damn dogs and their sharp senses. Of course, he immediately lunged at Sai to try to stop him again, but Sai was faster and landed a punch straight into the werewolf's jaw, sending him against the opposite wall.

"Shit!" the Yamanaka exclaimed, but Sai ignored her for the moment. He decided to take care of the wizard first and give him a little present for what he'd done to him earlier. "Shikamaru!" she yelled as Sai charged at him. So that was his name, huh? Wasn't he a Nara?

Sai's thoughts vanished when he caught movement from the other side of the room. Naruto had risen to his feet and was lunging at him once again. This time, though, before Sai could react, Shikamaru raised his hands at him and prepared a spell. Sai was being attacked from two sides, so he had to make a quick decision and choose what opponent to attack back first. Impulsively, he chose the werewolf. Punching as hard as he could, he sent the blond flying right back to where he'd come from, making him crash against the wall and break something. When Sai heard the bones crack, he smiled with satisfaction, but the moment of triumph ended too soon: when his left arm suddenly caught on fire.

Sai screamed and trashed around, panicked. This fire was not normal; it was blue and it burned with a painful coolness, not with unbearable warmth. It was a wizard's unnatural fire. He tried to roll on the ground to extinguish the flames, but it was useless; they were everlasting. This was not good…

Realizing he'd been defeated, Sai swallowed his huge pride and escaped the scene. He flew out of the window, right through the hole he'd made during his unexpected entrance. He accelerated towards the ground and barely managed to land without breaking anything.

The cool night air seemed to fuel the blue fire, turning the pain incredibly excruciating. However, he had also been trained to think through any kind of feeling, including the most terrible pain. He had been trained to survive, and that was what he'd do.

Quickly, Sai ran around the hospital's building, ignoring the startled shrieks of the few people around that saw him and his flames-engulfed arm, to its front side. There were more people there, but he kicked them out of his way towards the big fountain right in front of the hospital's entrance. Sai kneeled down before the fountain, clenched his teeth and shoved his burning arm into the water.

The blue fire hissed underwater, but the idea worked: it extinguished. Sai sighed shakily as the flames finally died, leaving the sleeve of his shirt blackened and the skin underneath second-degree-burned. It hurt like hell, but the realization that he couldn't go after the half breed in this condition hurt even more. He had failed tonight.

But, deep inside, Sai was just glad he was still alive. Dying was his only fear.

* * *

><p>If his family had been hysteric when Sai first attempted to kill Sakura, after this second attempt, they were practically panicking. They hadn't wanted to show it in front of Sakura, fearing that would make her more upset than she already was, so as soon as they made sure she wasn't injured, they sent her away to take a bath and get some rest. Right now, the girl was probably still bathing. Sasuke tried not to imagine her doing it.<p>

Sitting on the individual couch, he watched his mother pace around the study, gesturing wildly and talking more loudly than usual, as his father silently cracked his knuckles, a clear sign of anxiousness, and Itachi sat on the other couch, consoling a weeping Shizune and as quietly nervous as their father.

Sasuke wondered, not for the first time, why his parents and brother worried so much about Sakura. Was the fact that she had been Mikoto's best friend's daughter a reason strong enough to care this much? Were his parents just really good people? It seemed weird.

But the way Sasuke worried about her would have seemed weird, too, for anyone else. Only he knew the real reason why he cared. Unfortunately, that secret would be a hard one to keep for much longer.

Not everyone that knew Sakura was a half breed was present this time. Kakashi was somewhere else, busy having a life, and oblivious to the current situation because the Uchihas thought they had bothered him enough last night. Naruto and Ino weren't here, either; they were still with Shikamaru, on their way from the hospital.

A few minutes ago, Ino had called and told Sasuke that Naruto was wounded. No one was very concerned, though, because they all knew werewolves healed from even the worst injuries in a matter of hours. Ino and Shikamaru would just take a taxi and bring Naruto back to the mansion, give him painkillers and wait for him to feel better. They all were, however, very angry at Sai. It was as if the guy were asking for their hate, first trying to kill Sakura and then hurting Naruto badly.

Sasuke wished he could make the asshole pay, but revenge was irrelevant right now. The only thing that really mattered was keeping Sakura safe, and, finally, everyone agreed that the best way to do that was to get her out of the city and hide her somewhere no one would suspect of.

"But _where_ will we send her?" Mikoto asked for perhaps the fifth time since the discussion started.

"The safest place," Shizune sobbed. "I just want her to be as out of danger as possible. I don't care about anything else."

"And the safest place would be the furthest place from here, wouldn't it?" Itachi asked.

"Not necessarily," Sasuke answered. "It just has to be somewhere no one suspects of. If we send her to our summer house in France, for example, Sai will suspect because he knows our clan is involved and he'll search in all our properties."

"He can't be a hundred percent certain our clan is directly involved," Fugaku mumbled. "We've been as discreet as possible."

"He knows _I_ am involved. He has no proof my whole clan is, as well, but the guy is not stupid. He's figuring it out. I don't think he'll tell the vampire authorities, though, because I'm not sure he's in any legal position to contact them."

Itachi frowned at him "What do you mean with that?"

"Well… it's just that I've been thinking that, if he's not a vampire hunter and definitely not a vampire either, then what if… what if he's _both _of them? What if he's a half breed, just like Sakura?"

Mikoto had stopped pacing. The room was suddenly very quiet and still, and all eyes were on him. Sasuke shifted uncomfortably; he'd never been a big fan of this kind of attention.

"It's… possible," his father said at last. "But we can't make any assumptions yet. First, let's focus on Sakura."

"We cannot send her alone, either!" Mikoto exclaimed, resuming with her walking. "She's just a girl. And according to Shizune, she hasn't even travelled out of the country, ever. Well, I'm sure she did when her parents were still alive, because they certainly looked for the furthest and safest place to hide her, too, but she was a child back then; I'm sure she doesn't even remember. We cannot just send her to a foreign country by herself. That would be very dangerous!"

Before he even realized what he was thinking, Sasuke said, "Then I'll go with her."

Again, all gazes fixed on him. But this time, instead of being just mildly surprised, they were utterly stunned.

"What in the world are you saying, Sasuke?" Fugaku broke the silence once again, jumping to his feet. "Are you out of your _mind_?"

Maybe he was. Ever since Sakura's arrival, actually, he'd been questioning himself and his sanity. It was as if he were a completely new person now. A year ago, he would have laughed at the mere idea of practically sacrificing his future, his life, his everything, just for a pink-haired half-breed vampire. She had changed him so much that he barely recognized himself anymore.

But it felt… right. It felt okay. Sasuke was not afraid of this transformation. Actually, he was trying to embrace it. He liked wanting to do what he _wanted_ to, not what he was supposed to.

Standing up as well, the young man said, "I'm serious, father. My mother is right: we can't send her alone. So I'm willing to join her. I'll be with her. I'll protect her. I promise."

Mikoto gasped. Fugaku's gaze was heavy and solemn, and Sasuke could not stand it for long, so he looked away, at his brother. In Itachi's gaze, he saw not rejection, not disappointment, but deep worry. That wasn't any better.

The door of the study suddenly burst open, saving him from the awkward situation, if only temporarily. Shikamaru stepped in, dragging a moaning, half-conscious Naruto with him. Behind them was Ino; her blonde hair was messy and her expression hard and angry.

Itachi helped Shikamaru with Naruto, sat him on the couch and started checking his wounds. Meanwhile, Ino explained them quickly what had happened with Sai. The tension that Sasuke's recent decision caused evaporated for the moment.

"We did the best we could to stop him. Shikamaru set his arm on fire and we thought we had him, but then he jumped out of the window, right through where he'd broken in from, and left. We couldn't go after him because Naruto was injured and because the nurses had called security and the room's door was about to burst open, so we just took Naruto and escaped through the window, as well. Shikamaru made us fly or levitate or whatever, and it was the _most freakish_ experience in my life. I hated it." The blonde took a deep, irritated breath. "Anyway, where's Sakura? Is she fine?"

"I sent her to bed," Mikoto said sadly. "Poor girl has been through enough tonight."

"And what are your plans now?" Shikamaru asked.

"We're going to send her away," Sasuke replied. "We still don't know where. But we can't let her go alone, so I… I volunteered on going with her."

The color drained from Ino's face; she was aghast. Shikamaru, on the other hand, only seemed intrigued.

"But that is _not_ going to happen," Fugaku's voice boomed from behind Sasuke, its imposingness catching everyone's full attention.

Sasuke turned and glared at his father. "Yes, it is," he said as evenly as possible.

"No! You cannot leave, son. If you go with that girl, you won't be able to simply come back whenever you want. You'll have to stay with her, probably for long, and you have responsibilities to fulfill. You have a _future_!"

"What about your studies, Sasuke?" Mikoto said desperately, tears pooling her beautiful dark eyes. "What about your marriage? What about your _family_?"

Sasuke closed his eyes and ran his hands down his face, frustrated. "I am _done_ with this! You two have to stop trying to control my future. I'm already nineteen years old. This is _my_ life and I will take the decisions for it, whether they're right or wrong. You've got to accept that!"

"_Sasuke…_." Fugaku took a step towards him. Sasuke did his best to not recoil away from the intimidating man, but he couldn't help but flinch a little. After all, his father still was and would always be the most respected authority in his life, no matter what.

When he was a child, Sasuke did everything to catch his father's attention, because he was his hero. He wanted him to praise him as much as he praised Itachi. He wanted him to be proud of him. But those days were over. Sasuke wasn't a child anymore. He was practically a man now, and it was time for him to let go of his past.

So he raised his chin and faced Fugaku. He would be brave now. For her.

* * *

><p>Sakura had never felt emptier before.<p>

It hadn't been enough with leaving her humanity, her normalcy, behind. Now she also had to leave her roots, her past and her home, as well. Now she'd only have memories to hold on to, and she wasn't even sure if keeping them was even a good idea. All this made a big gaping hole form in her chest, and she felt hopeless, tired and incredibly alone.

Was this what growing up felt like? For a girl like her, maybe it was.

_At least_, she thought, _I have a few hours to sleep before I have to leave_. Sleeping was good lately, despite the nightmares, because she got to get away from her bitter reality. The blissful hours of dreamlessness before and after the nightmares were glorious to her. _At least they're something I'll probably never lose._

It took her a while to fall asleep, though. She had taken a nice, hot bath and drank delicious chamomile tea, both courtesy of dear Mikoto Uchiha, and then made herself comfortable under the soft, clean-smelling covers of the bed she was borrowing. However, no level of relaxation or comfort could make her mind ease down. Even though it was a peaceful, silent night, her mind was the complete opposite: her thoughts raced hysterically, ricocheting against the walls of her brain, and Sai's wicked smile flashed behind her heavy eyelids every time she closed them.

Fortunately, her own mind eventually tired itself out and Sakura was able to lose grasp of reality. But just as she did so, a knock on the door jolted her out of pre-sleep and sent waves of fear through her veins. What if it was Sai? What if he had come back for her? What if he had killed everyone in the mansion and now it was her turn?

"Sakura?" someone asked from outside. The voice was quiet and muffled by the door, but she recognized it instantly.

"Sasuke?" She threw the covers off her and sat up on the edge of the bed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just came to check on you." Slowly, he pushed the door open and peeked inside. "Can I come in?"

Sakura nodded and watched him step into the room. Since she was supposed to be sleeping, the lights were out, and only the silver moonlight lit Sauske's frame as he stood a few feet from the bed, his hands in his pockets and his head slightly bowed. He was wearing pajama pants and a tight white t-shirt, and his hair was messy and a little wet, which meant he'd just taken a shower. Even like this, he was still so handsome her heart ached with desire.

"Are you sure you're not hurt or anything?" he finally asked. His was tone unsure, mildly timid, which was… sort of adorable, in her opinion. "I know I was a bit rough when I picked you up and threw ourselves out the hospital's window…"

"I'm okay," she said. "I'm just a little worried. We messed my aunt's room up pretty badly. The nurses are probably freaking out right now."

"Don't worry. They'll just clean up and they'll have no one to blame, because Ino, Shikamaru and Naruto fled before security broke into the room."

Sakura's heart started hammering again. "What about Sai? Where is he?"

"He escaped," Sasuke answered. "But Shikamaru hurt him pretty badly. We hope he didn't survive."

Sakura let out a relived sigh, hoping Sai was dead, too. This was the first time she ever wished death to someone, but she didn't feel guilty because that someone wished her death back. She put on her slippers and stood up. "So what did you guys decide? What's going to happen to me now?" Her tone was bitter; she couldn't help it. It still bothered to have no voice on deciding her own future, in spite of how well she knew that the others would make better decisions than she ever could.

"Well, we're leaving tomorrow."

She rolled her eyes. "I already know that. I was still there when you all decided it. What I mean to ask is, where did you decide to send me to?" She waited for Sasuke's reply, but it didn't come right away. She watched the young man shift his weight from one foot to another and avoid her gaze, visibly uncomfortable all of a sudden… but why? What did she say to make him so-?

And then she got it. Sasuke hadn't said "_you're leaving_". He'd said "_we're leaving_".

Quickly, she stepped towards him and asked quietly and urgently, "Sasuke…, why did you say _we're_ leaving tomorrow? What did you mean?"

Sasuke parted his lips. There was now a strange, hypnotizing softness in his beautiful dark eyes, as if the color had melted for her, mixed with something like melancholy. Sakura's heart began fluttering as fast as a hummingbird. There was a hunger for his touch eating away at her depths, and for that instant, that was all she could think of.

But she snapped out of it. There were more important things to think about right now. And he hadn't answered her question yet.

"Sasuke," she whispered, taking another step forward. "What did you mean? Only _I_ am supposed to leave."

He looked away. His lips were now set in a thin, grim line and his jaw was tightly clenched. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "I know you're going to be very mad at me for this."

"For what, Sasuke?!" she raised her voice. "Tell me!"

Their eyes met again. Now, above the sadness and the softness, there was a forced determination in his gaze. "I said _we_ because I'm going with you, Sakura. You and I are leaving tomorrow, together."

* * *

><p>Shizune's sobs were driving Ino crazy. She wished the woman would go cry to her room or somewhere else. She also wished she could leave now, but that wasn't an option yet, because her father was talking adult-talk or whatever with the Uchihas in private, and he was her ride home, so she had to wait for him. Ugh.<p>

Besides, she didn't want to leave Naruto. The boy was sprawled across the largest couch, shirtless. Itachi had wrapped a bandage around his chest and said that his ribs weren't really broken, just a little fissured, so he was in no danger. Not that anyone had been extremely worried about it, though; werewolves were excellent at healing incredibly fast. And right now, two hours or so after the accident, Naruto was deeply asleep and peaceful; the pain was gone and he was okay. Still, Ino felt bad about leaving him. She thought that, in spite of him being an annoying idiot most of the time, he was a good guy, and he deserved some niceness after all he'd done for Sakura.

Sakura. Oh God. Ino tried not to think about her very much, but the thought kept crawling back into her mind, banging on the door she had closed and demanding to be let in along with the mixed emotions it provoked: sadness, desperation, confusion, pain, and… _jealousy_.

Ino had never, _ever_ had a reason to be jealous of Sakura. The blonde had all she or anyone wanted to have: a lovely family, good friends, beauty, youth, wit, money, popularity, a great sense of fashion and, of course, the sometimes-troublesome-but-generally-useful advantage of being a vampire: strong, fast, good-looking and with a higher life expectancy than the average human. Her life wasn't exactly perfect because she had responsibilities, flaws and regrets like any other person, but it was generally okay. Every time she felt down, she told herself that things could always be much worst and she could have a much crappier life, like Sakura's; now _that _would be bad. Ino felt guilty every time she thought that, but she was just being realistic and honest. It was pretty obvious that Sakura was more unlucky than her: she was an orphan, a half-breed vampire and basically poor now that Tsunade was comatose. Ino had never wanted to be in her shoes.

Until now.

Her stomach tied in knots at the unwelcome memory of Sasuke telling his father that he would go with Sakura and protect her no matter what. The captivating look on his face, the tone of his voice, the dauntlessness of his action… Ino wasn't totally sure of it, but it seemed like he felt something very strong towards Sakura. That was why she had wished he would do something as brave as facing his father for her. Why she had wished she were Sakura.

She had shocked herself. How could she wish that? She was a witness of the hell Sakura was going through, yet she was stupid enough to want to be in her place only because of some cranky, apathetic, gorgeous narcissist? How dare she stoop so low? She had issues. She needed help. She was losing her mind. She had to stop.

Shizune was still crying. Shouldn't she have dried herself out already, after all the tears she'd already shed? Itachi hadn't moved from her side or stopped patting her back comfortingly. Hadn't he got tired of hearing her cry yet?

Suddenly, the door of the study slammed open. Sakura walked in, wearing a red baggy shirt, black pajama pants and ratty slippers. Her hair was messy, her face make-up-less and her eyes bloodshot. She wasn't pretty. She was short, skinny, flat-chested, plain-looking and only interesting because of her intelligence and her peculiar hair color. On the other hand, Ino was tall, voluptuous and sexy, and her hair was long and permanently smooth, and her baby-blue eyes were bewitching. She was so much prettier than her cousin.

Why did Sasuke prefer Sakura, then?

"What's happened?" Itachi asked confusedly, on his feet, glancing from the half-breed to his younger brother. "Sasuke, you look like you just accidently killed a puppy."

"He did something _worse_," Sakura said. Her voice trembled with anger. "Or actually, he's _planning _on doing something worse!"

The consternation in Itachi's face slipped off. He sighed tiredly and asked his brother, "You told her, huh? That took courage."

Sakura let out a sarcastic laugh. "Yeah, sure, praise him! After all, he is willing to unnecessarily throw his life away for an unfortunate little half-breed. He's so brave, right? He deserves a fucking prize!"

"Cut it out, Sakura," Sasuke mumbled, frowning at his feet. Ino had never seen him so uncomfortable and upset in his life. She almost expected him to pout.

And it was Sakura's fault. Damn girl, instead of thanking him for liking her despite how screwed up her life was, was being a bitch to him. He didn't deserve that.

"Cut it out? No! I'll never cut it out, Sasuke. I'm going to keep on bullying you until you realize what an idiotic thing you-"

"Alright, stop!" Ino yelled at her cousin. "There's no need to treat him like this. He just wants to help you, Sakura. Shouldn't you be thanking him, or at least _kindly_ refusing his help? Why are you being such an asshole? It's as if you like humiliating people for wanting to be nice to you!"

The look on Sakura's face was stricken as she stared at her, as if she could not believe she'd just said that. Was it such a weird thing for Ino to stand up for the Uchiha vampire? "Ino," Sakura said lowly, "don't you understand what is going on?"

"I do," she replied, putting her hands on her hips. "You're being an ungrateful brat, that's what's going on. You think you can handle living in a whole new different place by yourself, with no protection or guidance whatsoever? Alright. It's your problem. But you don't have to be a bitch about it."

"You should be scolding _him_," Sakura exclaimed, pointing at Sasuke, "not me! He's making a terrible mistake! I just want to… I want to…!" She closed her eyes tightly and her face crumpled with defeat and sorrow. "I want to stop risking good lives for my own safety, okay? I want you all to stop helping me, because I can't help you back, and I care about you, and that makes me feel terrible! This is all terrible…"

Covering her face, the half breed dropped to the ground and started weeping silently. Shizune, who had finally shut up, ran towards the girl, kneeled before her and hugged her tightly.

"You shouldn't have been so harsh, Ino," Sasuke murmured. "She just needs some time to understand it."

Ino stared at him, appalled. "I was trying to fucking defend you!"

"There was no need for that." Sasuke's eyes were hard and emotionless – so different from the way they'd been as he argued with his father about Sakura. "It's all going to be fine."

No, it wasn't. The guy Ino liked was going to leave, probably forever or for a really long time, with her cousin, who was just an immature, ungrateful brat that didn't deserve him. Ino was going to lose _both_ of them. Her heart was already breaking.

Nothing was going to be fine.

* * *

><p><span>Notes<span>: Wow, love triangles are so complicated, man.


	35. The path

**Chapter thirty four**

_The path_

"Please, you have to do something," Sakura begged. Tears streamed out of her dull green eyes and down her pale cheeks. She looked daunt and tired, but Mikoto knew she had all the reasons to. The poor girl was barely eighteen, and she was already going through terrible things. It was natural that she seemed so faded out. "Sasuke is making a big mistake. I don't want him to come with me. He deserves a better life."

Mikoto observed the half breed, the unhappiness and desperation in her gaze, and the passion of her tears, and she analyzed the words she'd just uttered. Abruptly, a strange thought bloomed in her mind: Could it be that Sakura cared about Sasuke more than Mikoto ever thought she did? Could it be that there was a stronger connection between them, one that no one could ever notice, until now? Could it be that this whole thing was about their feelings, not about the situation itself?

Could it be that her son and Hikari's daughter were in love?

Mikoto shook her head. _What is wrong with you, woman? What kind of assumptions are you making? Focus!_

"I am trying my best, dear," she sighed. "I tried to talk to him, but he's very mad right now. He needs to cool off a little. But my husband's and mine decision is resolute: we are not letting him go. But we're not letting you go alone, either. We'll find someone else to go with you. But Sasuke… he's too young, too inexperienced for this, and he has duties. We cannot let him go."

Sakura bowed her head and sobbed. "Don't let him. If you think I must not go alone, fine, find someone else to direct me for a while, until I'm smart and mature enough to be by myself. Someone who is willing and that doesn't have anything to lose. Someone that isn't Sasuke. He must stay… and marry Hinata, and help his clan. He must live his life."

Mikoto put an arm around Sakura and caressed her hair comfortingly as she wept against her shoulder. She could not help but feel a bit responsible of the girl's pain and of Sasuke's mindlessness. She had been the one who insisted on putting them in the same house, making them spend time together. Now Sasuke was delusional, thinking he was in charge of protecting Sakura, and Sakura was broken-hearted, carrying the blame of causing all this trouble. Mikoto had not been able to protect them both from all this. She should have done things better.

Wiping her watery eyes, the woman spoke cheerily though the knot in her throat. "Would you like a cup of chamomile tea? It's supposed to have calming effects."

Sakura sniffed. "Is that why you gave me some last night?"

"You needed it," Mikoto said, smiling a little.

The girl nodded. "I'd love some more."

"Okay. Wait right here. I'll be right back." Mikoto stood up from the sofa and, smiling one last time at Sakura, proceeded to exit her office.

As she walked down the stairs, she checked the reasons why her crazy assumptions of a love between her son and Sakura could not be true. First of all, they didn't seem to be each other's types. Sasuke had never been much of a womanizer, like Itachi; actually, he barely showed any interest in people at all, let alone girls. All he cared about were books, paintings and classical music; an artsy, self-centered soul his was. If he ever fell in love with a girl, she would probably be very similar to him – and Sakura didn't seem that girl. Sakura was charismatic, gentle and amicable, the kind of girl that had excellent grades, many friends and a strong empathy towards other people. She was warm, like fire, and he was as cold as ice.

But didn't opposites attract?

Dread sank down her heart. It wasn't that she didn't want her son to be with Sakura; she was a very nice girl and Mikoto adored her already. But they couldn't be together, not under these circumstances. Sasuke was supposed to become a Hyuga and lead the clan as soon as he turned twenty one. He had a future full of obligations and pride. Sakura was an unfortunate half human, half vampire girl that would live scared of being caught and killed perhaps for the rest of her life. She didn't even have a certain future. If they got together, Sasuke would have to throw away his future to have one like hers. Both of them would be doomed.

However, Mikoto suddenly remembered she had thought the exact same thing when her relationship with Fugaku started almost thirty years ago. Their marriage had not been arranged, as vampire marriages usually were. He had been the Uchiha heir, handsome, powerful and intimidating, and she had been the third, ignored daughter of an unimportant vampire clan. But when they first met, she had been instantly enchanted and – she later discovered, much to her surprise – so had he. They got married because they were in love.

But a rich, important young man choosing an insignificant, middle-classed girl like her had been the scandal of the year. At first, Mikoto had thought they were doomed to be criticized by the other vampires for the rest of their lives – but surprisingly, that hadn't happened. And even if it had, she knew they would have gotten over it, because they loved each other, and nothing else mattered. Nothing was ever able to interfere between them.

Was their story repeating with their youngest son, only under much more difficult circumstances?

"Madam? Are you okay?"

Mikoto had not even realized when she had stopped walking. A maid was standing on the step below her, eyeing her worriedly. "Oh, sure," she said quickly, planting on a smile. "I'm fine."

"Can I do something for you?" the maid asked.

"Actually, yes. Can you please prepare a pot of chamomile tea and take it to my office?"

"Right away, madam," the maid answered, bowing, before hurrying down the rest of the stairs and towards the kitchen.

Mikoto sighed deeply. In that moment, she heard steps behind her. She turned around and saw her youngest son walking down the stairs. He froze when he saw her. "Mom? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she answered, quickly wiping her eyes and offering an unconcerned smile. "Everything's alright. How are you, honey?"

Sasuke's concern was replaced by bitterness. "I don't mean to be disrespectful… but I don't really want to talk to you right now."

Mikoto climbed the couple of steps between them, reached out and grabbed his wrist before he could turn around and leave. "Son, we _need_ to talk. How else do you expect this situation to be solved?"

"There's _nothing_ to solve," Sasuke said, frowning. "I took a decision, and I'm not backing down."

The woman grimaced miserably. "I know it's my fault. I shouldn't have made you feel like it was your obligation to protect Sakura. It isn't, Sasuke. Please, think this through and realize this is a mistake-"

"It's not a mistake!" he exclaimed, pulling his wrist out of her grasp. "I never wanted this life," he said more quietly, his dark eyes full of distress. "I never wanted to marry someone I didn't love, and rule a clan and be powerful and busy, like my father. I want to live a life that actually makes me happy, and do what I love, and be with someone I actually feel something towards. I know it'll be dangerous and that I might die for it, but I'd rather that than have a miserable existence."

Mikoto stared at her son, stunned. "Are you in love with her?"

Her words startled him. "What? No! I mean… Love is a strong word, mother. Too strong." The tips of his ears colored red and he looked away. "I just want to protect her and be by her side, you know? She's… she's especial, I guess."

"So you want to do this… because you genuinely care about her?" Mikoto asked, disbelieving.

He blinked confusedly. "Yes. Why else?"

Mikoto lowered her gaze. "I thought you were just confused..."

His eyes softened. "I'm not, mother. Actually, for the first time in my life, I'm a hundred percent sure of what I want."

* * *

><p>Sasuke stood before his father's desk, not allowing himself to tear his eyes off the man's solemn gaze. Mikoto stood right beside him, and even though she wasn't touching him, he could feel her support and love irradiating from her, and he'd never felt more thankful to be her son before.<p>

After their talk in the stairs a few minutes ago, Mikoto had realized just how serious Sasuke was about his decision. Claiming she was proud of him for finally following his heart, she moved to his side. Now he had her support, and it gave him strength and courage to face his father again.

Fugaku leaned in on his chair and put his elbows on the mahogany desk's edge. He looked at his wife and asked, "So you're on his side now?"

Mikoto nodded. She wasn't acting defensive or hostile, but she wasn't wavering, either. "I understand what he wants now," she said, "and how he feels. As his mother, I want him to be happy, so I shall back him up."

"Even if that means he is letting the whole clan down?" Fugaku asked, raising his voice.

"Fugaku… do you really think the clan's useless politics are more important than _your own son_?"

"It's not that!" The man slammed his hands on the desk and rose to his feet. "The clan's safety is his safety! And he has duties, Mikoto. Everyone has. We cannot let him run away from them, like a coward!"

"I'm not a coward," Sasuke said, keeping his tone steady. "If I were, I wouldn't be standing up for what I want, and instead I would just shut up and pretend everything's okay even though I _know_ this is not the life I want."

"So you're saying you're a _hero_ for fighting for your selfish desires?" Fugaku chuckled humorlessly. "You're just a kid, Sasuke. You have no idea of how life really works."

"Then why do you try so hard to keep me from finding out?"

His father stared at him, infuriated. "I'm trying to _guide_ you, you little-"

"Darling," Mikoto interrupted softly, "please try to understand. Our son has different goals from the ones we have planned for him. What's so wrong about it?"

"That his goals include running away with a half-breed vampire," Fugaku answered lowly. "Mikoto, I know you care about her, but I also know you care more about your son. So please, don't let him do this. We'll find someone else to go with her. Sasuke cannot throw his whole life away just because of a stupid infatuation."

"It is not an infatuation," Mikoto replied, stepping closer to the desk his husband stood behind. "I can _see_ it, Fugaku. She means a lot to him."

The man looked at his son. "But does she mean enough to you to risk your and your family's lives?"

Sasuke's breath caught in his throat. He wanted to tell his father that he would be careful, that he wouldn't put his life at risk, let alone theirs. But he knew very well that, by Sakura's side, nothing was certain and surviving would never be easy. The world was an unfair place and it stood against her. It would stand against Sasuke, too.

His mother put a hand on his shoulder, her determination still not faltering. "We will be okay, Fugaku. If he can take care of himself, we can take care of ourselves. You have to have a little more faith in your son."

Fugaku sat back down. The anger had drained from his face, and now there was just a heart-breaking defeat in its place. He was starting to understand that this was serious, and he was not enthusiastic about it, at all. Sasuke tried to imagine how it was like to lose your son like this, to feel this disappointment. He clenched his jaw at the emotions the thought provoked.

"Father," he started, approaching the desk. "I'm sorry I'm not the son you want. Honestly, all I ever wanted was for you to be proud of me. But I've realized that, sometimes, you have to choose between making yourself happy and making others happy. Maybe it's selfish, I know, but I just can't force myself to live an unsatisfactory life. I don't want to hurt you or anyone else, believe me… but I've got no choice. I'm really sorry."

"So this is it?" Fugaku asked lowly. "You're throwing everything we have done for you away?"

"I'm not throwing anything away. I'm just choosing a different path."

"What if that path is wrong?"

Sasuke smirked. "And what if it's right?"

* * *

><p>Fifteen minutes after the chamomile tea arrived on a tray in the hands of a maid, Sakura realized Mikoto wouldn't come back. She worried; had something bad happened to the woman? Deciding to look for her, she finished her tea, arranged the porcelain cups and the pot neatly on the tray, and left the room. She went to the study, where she knew everyone hung out in. Maybe Mikoto was there, talking to the others. Or maybe whoever was there could tell her where Mikoto was.<p>

The only person she found in the study was Ino. The blonde stood with her arms crossed, gazing out the window at the bright day outside. Even though it was Monday, she was not wearing her maid's uniform, which meant she'd probably quit already. Instead, today she wore tight jeans and a black t-shirt that looked great on her. Also, her hair was lose and wavier than usual. She looked as beautiful as always.

When Ino noticed her presence, the half breed smiled. "Hey. Have you seen Mrs. Uchiha?"

The vampire turned around to face her. "No," she said curtly. Her expression was blank, but Sakura knew her good enough to know something bothered her.

"Is something wrong, Ino?"

"No."

Uncomfortable, Sakura pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "Okay… Um, have you seen anyone else? Where's Naruto? Is he alri-?"

"Jesus, do I look like I have all the fucking answers in the world or what?" Ino cut her off unexpectedly, and then started stomping towards the door.

"Wait!" Sakura said. Her cousin stopped and threw her a murderous look over her shoulder. "Oh my god, Ino. What the hell is up with you?"

"I just don't want to see your stupid face right now."

Sakura's eyes widened. She watched her cousin head out of the room, but before she left, Sakura ran towards her and spun her around. "Is this because of what happened with Sasuke?" she demanded. "Are you still mad at me for doing the damn right thing, or what?"

She narrowed her blue eyes. "How is treating him like shit after all he's done for you the right thing?"

"I did not treat him like shit! I was just trying to make him see what a stupid mistake he's making. He cannot come with me, Ino. Not like this. It's too dangerous, and I don't want anything bad to happen to him or to his family because of me."

Ino sneered. "You should've thought about that before stepping into their lives. Now it's a bit too late, don't you think?"

Sakura's jaw dropped. Was this really happening? Was Ino really saying all these things?

The vampire spun back around and resumed with her exit. Suddenly furious, Sakura said, "_You_ were the one who brought me here, remember? _You_ told me there was a job available and you even _drove_ me here. And you never told me to leave."

Ino froze at the doorway. Slowly, she looked behind her and asked, "Are you fucking _blaming_ me for all this?"

Realizing what she'd just said, Sakura started shaking her head from side to side. "No, that's not what I'm doing! I mean… I mean it isn't just _my_ fault."

The blonde scoffed and stepped towards her cousin. "Don't fool yourself, Sakura. Of course it is. It's your _entire _fucking fault. Because of you, the Uchihas are stressed out and on the verge of losing their prestige. Because of you, Sasuke is going to ruin his life."

"Shut up," Sakura said, her voice barely a whisper.

Ino was approaching her, cornering her against the wall, like a lion about to eat its prey. Her voice was wickedly sweet and scary. Her eyes were icy blue. She didn't seem the girl Sakura used to know. "You know it's the truth, Saks. You're nothing but a burden for everyone. Don't you feel ashamed? How can you live with yourself?"

"You don't really mean all this," Sakura said, more to herself than to Ino. "You're just angry… but you don't mean to hurt me. You're my cousin. You're my best friend in the world!"

"Oh, please." Rolling her eyes, Ino spun around and, again, headed out the door. "You're such a wimp."

Ino left, slamming the door behind her. Sakura lowered herself to the ground, pressing her back against the wall behind her, and hugged her knees to her chest. The room was drenched in sunlight, but the world suddenly seemed colorless and gloomy through her eyes. Maybe the inside of her heart was reflecting itself on her surroundings.

"She didn't mean it," the girl whispered to herself as the tears swelling up in her eyes spilled down her cheeks. "She _couldn't_ have meant it."

But it didn't matter whether Ino had wanted to hurt her or not. What mattered was that she was right: Sakura was nothing but a nuisance and it was only her fault. All Ino had done was speaking the bitter truth aloud.

As Sakura cried, she realized she was completely alone now. Her parents were dead and gone, Tsunade was deep in a spell-induced sleep she would never wake up of, Ino hated her guts, and TenTen had – and could not have – idea of what was going on. Shizune was probably all she had left, but the woman studied, worked and _lived_ a life of her own, which she certainly wouldn't waste on looking out for a weak freak like Sakura. And the Uchihas… they would get tired someday, too. Even Sasuke would eventually realize he could have a better, prettier, smarter, less problematic girl than her, and then he would abandon her – but that would be fine. He deserved a girl like that. He, and everyone else, deserved better than what she offered.

Still, it hurt like hell. It felt like there was a gash in her heart, oozing blood, positive feelings and her very own soul. Soon, her heart would bleed to death, and that would be the end of Sakura Haruno's story, but that would be alright. Death didn't seem very frightening lately. It actually seemed appealing. Death meant giving up, and giving up meant no more fighting, and no more fighting meant peace. Peace would be so nice right now…

But Sakura still possessed something very annoying: surviving instinct. That thing was what made her fight back and what took away the courage needed to end her life with her own hands. Death was very far away thanks to it, but it would come someday, of course; maybe because of an unexpected disease, or because an accident, or because of time.

Meanwhile, she was losing the people she loved and, in the process, herself. She barely remembered who she used to be. It was like someone entirely new, different and terrible had replaced that young, happy girl she had been once. Or maybe she had just morphed into that new person. She'd never know.

The sobs convulsed her body, but she muffled them with a hand, not wanting to catch anyone's attention. She hoped no one would unexpectedly come into the study and see her like this. In this moment of embarrassing vulnerability, she just wanted to be left alone and unseen. She wished she were strong and smart enough to simply pull herself out of this abyss of sorrow, without anyone's help.

But she wasn't. She was everything she hated in a person.

Thankfully, no one walked in on her, and after God-knows-how-much time, Sakura managed to stop crying and to get on her feet. Wiping her face with the sleeve of her flannel shirt, she stumbled out the study, and then hurried to her bedroom. Once there, she decided to do something productive, even though what she really wanted to do was curl up on the bed and cry some more. She would leave at twilight, which was like five hours away, but she didn't know if she would have time to pack later, so she chose to start doing it now.

Sakura hadn't brought many things from her house, and she would take even less to wherever she was being sent to. She only packed most of her clothes in a small black suitcase and the rest of her elemental things – toothbrush, hairbrush, iPod, shampoo, soap, girl-stuff, her notebook and her ancestor's book – in a ratty black backpack.

Making sure she hadn't left any clothes anywhere, she walked by the mirror of the dressing table and caught her reflection. She realized that it had been days since the last time she actually looked at herself in the mirror, perhaps because she knew what she would see and was afraid of hating herself. But now, she was suddenly tempted to see how much she'd changed.

She seemed to have aged two years in the last week. Her clothes hung around her body more loosely than they did before; there were shadows under her dull green eyes; her lips were chapped and her skin pale and dry; basically, she looked… exhausted. Scowling, she then examined her hair, and she saw she needed to cut her split ends and to dye her blond roots, which were pretty noticeable at the top of her pink head. Or maybe she should just stop dyeing it. Pink was getting kind of boring, if she was honest. Why not cut this nonsense out and bring back her natural hair color?

Suddenly, she remembered the time she decided to dye it pink. She had been sixteen years old and eager for a drastic change in her blissfully boring life, so she had turned to Ino, already her best friend, because she was trendy, smart and awesome. Ino had suggested dyeing her hair a crazy color. "What's your favorite color?" she had asked. Sakura had answered it was pink, but then started doubting. What if everyone made fun of her for doing something like that?

Ino had grinned brightly at her. "Then we kick their asses for being jerks!"

Tsunade and Shizune had opposed to the decision, but Sakura hadn't cared. The next day, she had gone to school with her blonde hair now pink. Surely enough, people laughed at her. But they stopped laughing as soon as Ino's murderous gaze caught theirs. "Mess with Saks, and you mess with me, bitches!"

Back in the guest room, Sakura sat on the edge of the bed and sighed deeply. She still couldn't believe she had lost her best friend. _This is what dreaming about a murky ocean meant_, she remembered. '_Fights with beloved ones in the future'. _And she had had that dream again last night, as if to remind her of what was coming. She didn't know whether to find this prophetic gift useful or bothersome.

In that moment, a knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.

"Sakura? Can I come in?" Shizune asked from outside. The woman hadn't gone to school and wouldn't go to work today; she had called in sick because Sakura was leaving and she wanted to be here for her.

"Sure," the half-breed replied, standing up and preparing a fake smile for her cousin.

The door opened. Shizune stepped in with puffy eyes, a sweet, hesitant smile on her face, and a small wood box in her hands. "Hi. I have something for you."

* * *

><p><span>Notes<span>: The end is sooo close! But so is the second part, yay!


	36. The wood box

**Chapter thirty five**

_The wood box_

Sasuke lay on his bed, staring at the plain white ceiling of his room. It was barely past midday, but he already felt exhausted. Unfortunately, he had much more to do today. These few minutes were probably the only time he would have to rest a little, because he had to start packing his stuff, and then print his and Sakura's plane tickets, and then get the car ready, and then say goodbye… He bet this was going to be the longest, most staining day of his life.

Just as he started to doze off, his cell phone, which he had left on his night table, started buzzing. Sasuke opened his eyes and scowled. It was not the best moment to be interrupted. Whoever was calling better have a really good reason.

He took his phone and read the screen. It said Shikamaru's name, which made him forget about his bad mood and his tiredness instantly. Before leaving last night, the wizard had promised Sasuke he would investigate to which wizard clan the essence he had seen in Tsunade's aura belonged. Had he already found out?

"Hello?" Sasuke answered the phone eagerly, sitting up on the bed.

"Sasuke," Shikamaru said, "I think I got it. I think I know what wizard put Tsunade in that coma."

"You do?"

"Yeah. I talked to my grandfather and described the essence to him. Of course, I never gave him details about the situation or about why I cared. Besides, he's old and absent-minded, so I don't think he gave it much importance. I wasn't lying when I told Sakura I would keep the secret."

"And well?" Sasuke asked, wanting to go straight to the point. "Who did it, Shikamaru?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but my grandfather told me it ought to belong to someone from a clan with an affinity to the element Earth. I went to my Dad's library and researched, and I found out that the only clans with that affinity in the country are few, no more than fifteen."

Sasuke made a face. He didn't know much about wizards, but he thought he'd heard about their affinities to elements before. Kakashi once explained him that magic was fueled by our environment, so that was when the elements – Earth, Fire, Water and Air – stepped in, but Sasuke had never really cared about wizards or their magic, so he hadn't listened attentively. Maybe he should have.

"But there's one case that really caught my attention," Shikamaru continued. "A member of the No Akasuna's, one of the most powerful Earth-affined clans in Japan, is a wanted criminal for murder, robbery, kidnapping and who-knows-what else. He's literally insane, and he joined this sort of gang of evil wizards, vampires and werewolves that are also insane and that go around causing trouble. His name is Sasori. I have a feeling he might be your guy."

"Sasori No Akasuna…" Sasuke mused, grabbing the closest piece of paper and a pen and writing down the information. "Okay, I got it. Thanks for your help, Shikamaru."

"You're welcome. But again, I'm not entirely sure I'm right. It's just a possibility and what my gut is telling me. I recommend you to consult someone else – maybe some other wizard that has met Sasori in person. Take them to see Tsunade's aura and let's see what they think."

"Alright, will do."

"Good. Oh, and tell Sakura bye from me. You guys leave tonight, right?"

Sasuke sighed. "This afternoon, actually. Before the sun goes down."

"Where are you going?"

"We've got tickets for a city on the opposite side of the country, but we're probably going to head to America or to Australia afterwards."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" the wizard asked hesitantly after a long pause. "I mean being with her. It's just… risky as hell, dude. She is _literally_ problematic, more than any woman you and I have ever met. The worst thing is that it's not even her fault."

"I know. But I can handle it."

"Can you handle disappointing your whole clan, too?"

"Don't put it that way," the dark-haired vampire replied, smirking. "I won't really disappoint them. Actually, I'll give them a lesson. They must not control our lives just because we're young. It's not okay to force us to marry people we don't love and do things we don't enjoy. After this, they will understand that we're not their puppets."

"True that... Besides, there's a bright side: you're making Hinata a favor. I don't think she was too enthusiastic about marrying you, either." Sasuke chuckled. "Anyway," Shikamaru continued, "tell Naruto he owes me and Ino money for the taxi we took last night. I don't care if he almost broke his ribs; he's got to pay, too."

"He still asleep in one of the guest rooms, but I'll give him your message as soon as he's awake."

"Cool. Well, I've got to go now. Good luck, man."

The vampire smiled. "Thanks, Shikamaru. I'll need it."

* * *

><p>Sakura eyed the wood box curiously. "What is that?"<p>

Shizune stepped towards the bed and sat on its edge. She put the box on her lap and caressed its lid, on which three big roses were carved in detail. "It's for you, dear. Tsunade was supposed to give you this today, but, well… she obviously can't. Months ago, she put me in charge of giving it to you in case something happened, so… here," she said, raising the box. "Take it."

"Why did she want to give me this today?" Sakura asked, disconcerted. "What does it contain?"

Shizune's smile was melancholic. "See it yourself."

The girl vacillated slightly before finally taking the wood box from her adoptive cousin. It was heavier than she'd expected it to be, but as soon as she touched it, her mind sizzled with recognition. "I've seen this somewhere before," she murmured, touching the roses with the tips of her fingers.

"Open it," Shizune encouraged.

Suddenly nervous, the half breed sat beside her cousin and put the box on her own lap. Then, licking her lips, she opened the lid slowly. When she saw the contents, her breath got caught in her throat.

Neatly ordered inside the box was a bunch of approximately twenty old photographs on the left side, and a soft, pink clothe wrapped around something small and circular on the right side. With trembling fingers, Sakura picked one of the photographs from out of the box. It displayed a man and a woman, both in their early twenties, staring lovingly into each other's eyes and smiling. The woman was gorgeous; she had long, blonde hair and green eyes, and she looked a lot like Ino. The man was brown-haired, very handsome, lean and muscular… and his eyes were bright, green and very familiar.

"Tsunade knew you would leave one day," Shizune started quietly. "She foresaw the moment someone would find out about you and come for you. So before you were sent away, possibly to never come back, she meant to give you this, so that you could take it with you and never forget about your past."

Her mouth suddenly very dry, Sakura picked out another photograph, also of the couple. This time, though, there was a third person in the picture: from the arms of the woman, a blonde, green-eyed baby dressed in pink smiled joyfully at the camera.

Speechless, Sakura looked at the rest of the photos. They were all very similar. The woman, the man and their baby appeared in all of them, wearing different clothes and with variant backgrounds behind them, but smiling and visibly loving each other in each one of them. These were pictures of a joyful family's early years… of _her_ family.

"My God," she croaked out, tears stinging her eyes.

Carefully, Shizune reached into the box and pulled out something from underneath the bunch of photographs: an envelope with Sakura's name scribbled across it in a handwriting the girl recognized instantly: Tsunade's. "Read it," Shizune said softly, handing the letter to her.

Sakura put the photos back into the box and took the letter. Gingerly, she ripped the envelope open and pulled out two folded sheets from inside it. She unfolded the first sheet to find Tsunade's handwriting all over it. In that moment, she realized where this was all going. A strangled sob escaped her lips as she started to read.

_Dear Sakura,_

_If you're reading this letter, it means I'm currently unable to tell you all this personally. I'm sorry if I'm causing you pain. Hopefully, the contents of the box and everything I'm about to tell you will make you a bit happier. _

_I am also giving you this box so that you can have something to take with you now that you have to leave. It'll help you remember your origins no matter what or where you are. I know that, without a solid past, a person is incomplete, and honey, I want you to be complete. I want you to have a good life. I'm sorry everything's got to be so difficult. _

_Well… Confused must not be enough to describe how you feel right now, huh? I know you have many questions and you want the answers, Sakura, and I don't blame you for it; I would want them too if I were in your place. So, let's start from the beginning._

_Your mother was a wonderful woman, full of love, joy and innocence. Inoichi, our parents and I were an apathetic, self-absorbed family – until she came and lit our world. That's why we called her Hikari.***** We loved her oh, so dearly. Everyone who knew her did. It was impossible not to. Your mother simply possessed that talent, that charisma. At first we thought that was her gift, but it wasn't. You'll find out why later. _

_She met your father by chance in a small café near our home. She told me the story only once, and I never forgot it, because it was the most romantic tale I've ever heard. Your father was a waiter there, and that day, he accidently spilled a cappuccino all over her skirt. Hikari was furious, but as soon as they looked into each other's eyes, their world froze and nothing – not her ruined skirt, not the people around, not the yelling of your father's angry boss – mattered anymore. Your mother described the sensation as "breaking through the surface of the water and breathing pure, blissful air again". It was a case of the rare love-at-first-sight. _

_From then on, things in our peaceful lives started getting complicated. Your parents dated for half a year in secret, until Inoichi saw them on the street once and demanded an answer. Hikari had no other choice but to confess to us, her family, that she was in love with a human being, who already knew she was a vampire and loved her back as such. _

_Of course, we were very concerned when we learned this truth. You must already know what a taboo the relationships between vampires and humans are. Besides, if anyone found out Hikari had told a human her secret without making him do an Oath, she would be in terrible trouble, and so would our clan. _

_But when we met your father and saw how much he truly loved your mother, we were determined to fight for their relationship, as well. He was such a wonderful man: respectful, kind, brave and intelligent. His name was Takeo Haruno, in case you don't know. And as you might have already seen in the photographs, you have his eyes._

_However, if your father had one flaw, it was his dishonesty. After we welcomed him in our family and made him part of it, he finally confessed out of guilt one day that he wasn't a simple human: he was from one of the most powerful vampire hunter clans in Japan. We couldn't believe we didn't recognize his last name before. And we couldn't believe that he – our newly accepted son and brother in law – had disguised the truth for us, which isn't lying, but not any better than it. _

_Takeo never killed a vampire in his life, though. He had given up his hunter training and turned his back to his clan and its lifestyle. He wanted to be a normal human being, go to law school, have a family and live a peaceful life. But then he met Hikari and fell in love with her. The strange world he had born in refused to let him go. _

Crying silently and still stunned, but too focused on the lecture to stop, Sakura turned the sheet around to continue.

_Now we faced a much bigger problem. It was, and still is, practically illegal for a vampire hunter and a vampire to be together. Even though they had stopped hunting us mercilessly years ago, and now they dedicated solely to help vampires kill their criminals, we never really got along very well. If Hikari and Takeo married, it would be a world-wide scandal. No one would approve. My family and I barely did, to be honest. But we loved Hikari. We loved Takeo too, so much that we even forgave his mistakes. So we never gave up. _

_However, soon we all came to realize that fighting was useless: their relationship was utterly impossible. Your parents knew this very well, and still, they refused to break up, so they escaped together without telling anybody and ignoring how dangerous that was. They were so deep in love they were blind and stupid and that just enraged me. Only when I fell in love, as well, did I understand them a bit more. _

_In the next two years, I heard very little from my sister. She only visited once a year and she sent letters very rarely. The last time she visited, and also the last time I saw her alive, she announced she was pregnant. _

_At first, we were hysterical, horrified, shocked and sorrowful. We immediately assumed you had no future, Sakura. I was also furious at your parents. How dare they do something like that? They weren't stupid; they knew what kind of life you would have because of what you are. And still they hadn't cared. They were willing to have you, and so stupidly joyful and unconcerned that I wanted to rip their heads off. _

_But then Hikari said something that changed my perspective entirely: "Even though I am very aware of the dangers we're about to face, Takeo and I are happier than we've ever been, and I will have my baby. She or he is an important person; we can feel it. She or he might save thousands of lives someday. We're not going to take that away from the world."_

Sakura paused. It didn't make sense to her for her parents to be able to know what kind of destiny the child in her mother's belly would have. But the fact that they had so much faith in her already, when she was barely a fetus, formed a knot in her throat and sent a stabbing pain through her chest. She wished shecould have that much faith in herself right now. Then, she kept reading.

_Almost a year later, Hikari sent another letter. Inside the letter, there were pictures of you. You had already been born, and in those photos you were not even a week old. You were so beautiful, so perfect and so normal! We were still scared and worried sick, but suddenly, we were also happy. We knew your parents took good care of you and would never let someone hurt you. We hoped you would live a nice, normal life. We loved you, even if we hadn't met you in person yet. _

_Your mother continued to send letters, two of them per year. She kept sending us pictures of you, too, and of Takeo and her. We watched you grow up through photos. We saw how happy you and your parents were. You were living in a small, ignored country in Europe, in a cozy house on the middle of a peaceful forest. You were protected and loved, both by your parents and by us. _

_But a few years after your birth, our happiness and hopes shattered. Our society knew about your existence already, but the authorities never bothered to go hunt you down – until then. My father heard the rumor that they would send Madara Uchiha, a ruthless vampire criminal supposed to be locked in jail, to kill you in exchange of his freedom. The bastards preferred to let a psycho out of jail than to let an innocent half-breed live another day._

_Inoichi and I flew over, but we were too late to save your parents. They fought to protect you even in the last moments of their lives. Fortunately, they had hid you where Madara could never find you, and he was too lazy to look for you, so he decided to simply burn the house, with you somewhere inside. But Inoichi and I could find you in time. We took you out and rescued you from the fire. We lost Hikari and Takeo, but at least we still had you. _

Sakura remembered the nightmare she'd had once when she passed out in the Uchihas' kitchen. In it, she had been small, scared and wounded, and there had been blood everywhere, and a man with an orange-lollipop mask. And then she had heard Tsunade's voice. That hadn't been a nightmare, she realized. That had been an actual memory.

Letting out a shaky sigh, she tossed the sheet aside and read the next one.

_Immediately, we took you back to Japan and erased some of your memories because you had witnessed terrible things and we didn't want you to be traumatized; we wanted you to be sane and normal. Also, I adopted you. I decided not to change your name, but I did change your parents', just in case. Luckily, the society was convinced you had died in the fire because they didn't know we had been there to save you, so they never went looking for you. Everyone forgot the three of you ever existed. Even the Yamanakas had to admit we knew nothing about Hikari or you to save our own lives. But in reality, we never forgot them. And with you still alive, under my care, we never could. _

_You lived a normal, human life for most part of your life, just as I wished you to. I lied to you many times, and I'm sorry; I was just trying to shield you from pain. I'm also sorry I'm not there right now to help you though all of this. Maybe I could have made all this easier for you. Unfortunately, things are the way they are: unfair, scary and sad. But no one chose them to be like this. _

_Honey, please don't lose hope. Even if I'm not there, you have Shizune's and Inoichi's and Ino's support; you're not alone at all. And just like your parents did, I believe in you and your strength. I know you will make it out of this. I promise you will. _

_Be strong, Sakura. Do not give up. Do it for your parents, who gave their lives for you. Make them, and me, and yourself, very proud. _

_I love you forever._

_Your aunt, Tsunade. _

It was over. Sakura was quiet for a long moment, staring blankly at the empty space. The world seemed to be frozen and dead around her. If she had been sad earlier, now she felt like she was on the verge of an overpowering depression.

Putting the box on the bed, she put her head against her adoptive cousin's warm shoulder. Shizune sighed, put an arm around her and squeezed comfortingly. The half breed tried not to weep, because she was sick of it… but she could not hold all these feelings in any longer.

So she cried until her head ached, her eyelids weighed a ton, and her sight was blurry. She did it quietly, at least.

* * *

><p><span>Notes<span>: Hey, thanks for reading! Sorry it took me so long to finally upload this chapter, but I've been busy with school. I have the next chapters almost ready, though, so expect quicker updates! Review and tell me your opinion please. :)

(*****: _Hikari_ means "light" in Japanese.)


	37. The dress

**Chapter thirty six**

_The dress_

Sasuke left in two hours. He had already gotten the plane tickets, packed his bags and readied the car he was going to take. The only thing left to do was the hardest: saying goodbye.

Naruto had tapped on his door shortly after his conversation with Shikamaru ended. Pale and sleepy, but clearly healthy and not in pain, the werewolf had smiled sadly and asked, "Hey, man. Want me to help you pack your stuff?"

Smiling back, Sasuke had nodded. As they packed quietly, he realized this was possibly the last time he was going to share a comfortable silence with Naruto. Pain stabbed his heart, but he didn't let it show. His best friend was clearly upset already; showing he was upset too would only make things worse. All that was left was enjoying these last moments with him.

Half an hour later, most of Sasuke's possessions were neatly packed in a medium-sized, blue suitcase and in a big, black bag. Naruto sat on the gray beanbag on the corner of the vampire's room, sipping from a can of orange soda he'd taken from the mini-fridge. Sasuke was on his bed, drinking not soda, but tomato juice adulterated with blood.

They had barely spoken at all. It wasn't because they were uncomfortable, or because they didn't know what to say, but because there really wasn't much to say. It was a mutual, unsaid understanding they had: quiet was better than a pointless chat.

But then, Sasuke thought of something and blurt a question out. "Do you think I'm stupid, Naruto?"

The blond had been raising the can towards his lips, but stopped when the silence was broken. His eyebrows rose. "Stupid?" he repeated, surprised. "Of course not, man. If anything, you're one of the most intelligent people I know."

"But what I'm going to do is stupid, isn't it?" the vampire murmured, staring blankly at his half-finished drink. "And since it's the first time I do something I actually want, maybe it means I'm actually stupid."

"What you're gonna do isn't stupid," Naruto said, frowning. "Doing what you want isn't stupid. You want to be with Sakura because you fancy her, right?"

Sasuke sighed. "Fancy her… Well, you could say it that way. But it's something more complex, to be honest. I… I feel like I _belong_ with her, because she belongs with me – you know what I mean? It's sort of like what happened when I first met you. I thought you were a dumbass, but then, as I got to know you, I discovered your virtues: your loyalty, your honesty, your optimism. We were very different, but I liked hanging out with you; it was nice and it felt… okay. And ever since, we've been best friends.

"Basically the same happened with Sakura: I first thought she was nothing but a nuisance and a freak, but when I found out more about her, I started pitying her… and that pity somehow turned into this strange need to protect her. I then realized that I _liked_ her, not just because I thought she was pretty, but because she was more than a miserable half-breed vampire: she was a kind, gracious, clever girl, and stronger than I thought she was. Suddenly, I didn't want anything bad to happen to her, in a way I'd never felt before. That new feeling changed me a lot, man. Now I feel like… I'm better." Pensively, he took a swing of his drink. "Somehow, she has given my life sense," he continued. "Why let go of something that makes you so fortunate?"

"Exactly!" Naruto said. "Why do you think your decision is stupid, then?"

"Because that's what I would think if someone else were doing this and not me. There's just so much at stake… I'm going to let my family, my clan, and even the entire vampire society down. The plan is to tell everyone I simply ran away, without a warning, so that no one knows I actually ran away with a half-breed – but what if someone tells, or finds out the truth? I'm going to be responsible for screwing many things up. I don't think I'm ready for that kind of burden."

They didn't speak for a long moment, both deep in thought.

Finally, the werewolf spoke softly. "I think that, eventually, everyone has to choose between pleasing others and pleasing themselves. People who choose to please everyone are afraid, and that's why they end up living a long, sad life with a partner they don't love, a job they can't stand and a routine that will someday literally bore them to death. But people who choose to please themselves and send everyone to hell, they're braver, and that's why they end up living an awesome life full of love, fun and other good things.

"Now, imagine you have just this one shot at life. Would you choose to be the first kind of people, or the second one?"

"The second," Sasuke answered immediately.

The blond grinned. "That means you're brave, Sasuke. And I think you can handle this kind of challenge. I trust you."

The vampire smirked. "So you think I should go?"

"_You_ think you should go. That's what you want. So go, man."

"Don't you want me to stay?"

Naruto chuckled and took a sip of his soda. "I'm not worried. I know you'll come back one day."

* * *

><p>Very slowly, Sakura cracked her eyes open. She had gotten into bed and fallen asleep when she was done crying. While she drifted off, Shizune had kindly stayed and held her hand, but now the woman was gone. Sakura made a mental note of expressing her gratitude towards her cousin the best she could when she finally had to say goodbye.<p>

And speaking of so, what time was it? Was it time to finally leave? Sakura sat up weakly, her body tired and shaky from crying so hard, and glanced at the window. Warm afternoon sunlight spilled through it, and the sky outside was just beginning to darken. It wasn't time yet, but soon, it would be. Her chest tightened. She didn't really wanted to leave her city and her beloved ones behind… but she had to. Reluctantly, she would have to go.

She realized the wood box was still on the bed, at the foot of it. After a moment of hesitation, she reached for it and observed it from the outside. The wood was smooth and polished, and the carvings were elaborated and beautiful. It was fancy and probably expensive. Briefly, she wondered who it had belonged to. Tsunade? Her mother? She hoped to know someday.

Licking her lips, she dedicatedly pulled the lid up and blinked at the box's insides. The same things she remembered were there: the bunch of photos of her and her parents, Tsunade's letter inside a now-ripped envelope, and the soft, pink cloth wrapped around something. Sakura took the cloth and unfolded it in front of her. It was a cute, old baby romper. And there was a strong possibility that it had been hers.

Eyes stinging with new, bitter tears, the half-breed put the romper aside and looked at what it had been wrapping. It was something shiny, red and small, and there was a gold chain attached to it…

When Sakura's weary mind recognized the object, her throat closed in.

A ruby. The ruby from her nightmare. She had been wearing it, along with the pretty white dress, during her last nightmare about Sasuke, the one in which he had kissed her neck instead of biting it. She was sure.

Trying to breathe evenly, Sakura clumsily took the ruby out and observed it with awe and bewilderment. How was this possible? First, she'd met Sasuke in real life, and now she saw the ruby in real life, too. Could it be that that nightmare hadn't been metaphorically, but _literally_ prophetic? Was that part of her gift, as well? Or was this just a very unsettling coincidence?

Without a warning, there were a few knocks on her doors. Sakura jumped, startled, and almost dropped the ruby. "Who is it?" she cawed nervously. She was red-nosed, puffy-eyed, pale and generally messed up; no one could see her like this… especially not Sasuke.

"Sakura," Mikoto's voice called from the other side of her door. "Can I come in?"

The girl hesitated. It felt wrong to deny anything to Mikoto after everything she'd done for her. "Sure, just a sec," she answered uncomfortably, and quickly put the ruby and the romper back into the box. She didn't feel like sharing the recent events with anyone yet.

However, her inelegant movements made her almost drop the wood box to the floor. She managed to catch it on time, but a few photos spilled on the floor, and so did the ruby she'd still been holding between her fingers. She cursed loudly, too frustrated to remember her manners.

The door clicked open and Mikoto stepped in, alarm clear in her face. "Is everything okay?" she questioned. Then, her eyes widened at the scene: Sakura had half of her body off the bed as she unsuccessfully tried to reach some of the photos on the floor, and she held the ruby's chain between her lips. The woman gasped softly and hurried to help her. "Oh, dear Lord. Are you okay, darling?"

Embarrased, Sakura rose to her feet and collected the items on the floor along with Mikoto. "I am," she said. "I'm sorry. I just woke up from a nap and I'm being more klutzy than usual."

Mikoto hadn't seen what the photos were of yet. She was looking at Sakura concernedly. "Have you been crying, dear?" Suddenly, she rolled her eyes. "Oh, God. What a silly question. You're obviously having a very hard time. Forgive me, please."

"It's okay," Sakura said. Then, she caught glimpse of one of the photos she was picking up. It was of her mother, grinning widely at the camera in a way Sakura recognized from her own reflection in the mirror. This was the first time she realized just how much she looked like her.

Her distraction made Mikoto finally notice the photos. The woman gasped. "Oh," she uttered. "These are…"

Sakura sighed deeply, defeated. "Tsunade had been keeping them for me, for this day," she explained quickly. "Shizune just gave them to me. That's why I've been crying."

Mikoto was awe-struck. The half-breed wondered if she had looked the same when she first saw them.

"They were in that wood box," she added, pointing at the object on the bed, "along with a baby romper, a letter from Tsunade and… this." She held up the ruby. Mikoto stared at it with astonishment and… recognition? "Do you… identify this, Mrs. Uchiha?" Sakura asked confusedly.

The vampire let out a shaky exhalation and sat gracefully on the floor, still holding the photos in her hands limply. "That was your mother's," she whispered, blinking her watery dark eyes. "I… I gave it to her many years ago, little before she got pregnant. That was the last time I ever saw her, you know?" She smiled nostalgically. "It was as if I had given her a farewell gift without knowing."

Sakura looked down at the necklace. The ruby was so beautiful… just like her mother had been. She couldn't believe she hadn't guessed it had been hers before. "Where did you get it from?" she asked.

"I bought it in a vintage jewelry store in Italy, when Sasuke had still been in my belly. When I saw it, I had instantly thought of your mother, so I bought it for her. The clerk at the store told me its story. Do you want to know it?"

Sakura nodded, and the woman narrated: "In the nineteenth century, there had been a European young princess. She was gorgeous and many men wanted her, but none of them was worth of her love. That was why she was very lonely. But one day, she had a dream. In the dream, she met a beautiful young man and fell in love with him. She dreamed about him every night from then on. She adored him so, that she started to believe that he was real and that he existed somewhere in the world and was dreaming of her too. Everyone thought she was losing her mind, so she was sent to a mental hospital.

"Years passed, she grew old, and she kept dreaming of the man every night. One day, she dreamed he put this necklace around her neck." Mikoto reached out and caressed the ruby with her fingertips. "When she woke up in the morning, the necklace was still there. It had appeared out of nowhere, as a proof that he had existed all along. Shortly after that, she died – old, lonely, but happy.

"The ruby was sold, passed on from generation to generation, until it reached my hands, your mother's… and now yours."

Sakura smiled dimly. "It's a beautiful story. Is it veridical?"

Mikoto laughed a little. "Your mother asked me the same thing. I still don't know. But let's pretend it is."

"Sounds good to me."

The vampire smiled again. "I'm glad Tsunade kept all of this for you. You should have it. It's part of your past. It _belongs_ to you."

Sakura bit her lip thoughtfully, and then rose to her feet. She put the photos and the ruby back into the wood box.

Mikoto stood as well and gave her the photos she had. "Sakura," she said as the girl closed the box. "What I really came here for is to give you something else from your past. It didn't belong to your mother and it's actually brand new, but I basically made it out of something that used to belong to her. Would you like to see it?"

The girl sighed deeply and managed a small smile. "Of course."

"Then come on. It's in my office."

* * *

><p>Sakura stared at her reflection in the mirror. She had finished applying Mikoto's make up on her face and now she looked more alive and, of course, prettier. The shadows under her eyes were hidden under concealer, her cheeks were rosy with blush, her lips were glossed and pink, and eyeliner made her green eyes gleam. She'd also fixed her hair a little with hair mousse. She didn't look like the sad, hopeless girl she was inside anymore.<p>

With a heavy sigh, the half-breed exited the bathroom of Mikoto's bedroom. The room was amazing: lots of space, marble floors, silk curtains, fallow-colored walls, and a huge, round bed on the middle. As she walked towards said bed, Sakura wished she would have a room like this when she grew up and married. She wished she'd have a normal future at all.

The thing Mikoto had wanted to give her – _a gift in case I don't see you on your next birthday_, she'd called it – was on the bed. Sakura stared at it, biting the inside of her cheek. It was a white, strapless, knee-length dress with lace patterns on the hem. It was tight around the waist and chest but loose below the hips, and simply beautifully-made.

Sakura had seen – and worn – this dress before. Not in real life, but in her dreams.

The door of the room was locked, so she stripped off her clothes calmly. As she slipped the dress on, touching it as carefully as possible, her pulse started racing. The fabric was soft and gentle on her skin, and she knew the feeling of it on her body. There was no doubt: this was _exactly_ the same dress she had worn in her dream. This realization made her both nervous and intrigued.

Sakura went back to the bathroom and stared into the full-length mirror in the corner. Even though she had never considered herself remarkably good-looking, she admitted she looked utterly gorgeous in the dress. It was almost as if the dress has been especially designed for her, but it hadn't; Mikoto had told her that she had made it thinking of Sakura's mother, and that later, she'd realized it was practically a copy of the one Hikari had worn in her wedding, the one she had been buried with.

But now, just like the ruby, which was now hanging from her neck, the dress had been passed on to Sakura.

Sighing, she sat on the bed and waited for Mikoto to come see her. However, minutes passed, and the door never opened, so she decided to go out. This was not the first time Mikoto didn't come back when she promised; Sakura wondered if it was a habit of hers or just an annoying coincidence.

Outside the room, the lights were off and the corridor was dark. The lack of light meant she should be getting ready to leave, but she had to find Mikoto first and let her see her in the dress, at least this one time.

Barely able to see in the blackness, the pink-haired girl walked slowly towards Mikoto's office, which closed door was only a few feet away. And then, it hit her: the dream seemed to be coming true. She was wearing the dress and the ruby, walking down a dark corridor of the Uchiha mansion, pushing a door – which wasn't red, but still – and stepping into a room, which was bathed in moonlight and nothing else.

Her heart hammered against her chest. This was the room of her dream, too. The coffee table, the leather couches, the bookcase, the old-fashioned desk, the chair… How could she not notice before?

The window was open. Its transparent curtains – she _had_ recognized them before, but had thought she was imagining things – danced, blown by the gentle breeze. Sakura stepped towards it without even thinking of doing it. She gazed out, at the twilight in the sky, at the crowns of the trees, and breathed the cool air in, soothing her lungs.

_Maybe this isn't exactly like the dream, _she thought_, but it's way too similar, so this is either happening by chance, or the dream was literally prophetic and now Sasuke will-_

"Sakura?"

She froze. Holding her breath, she spun around slowly, and her knees almost gave in when she saw Sasuke in the doorway, frowning at her. It was happening. The dream was definitely coming true. Her gift was much more than she'd thought it was.

And now Sasuke was noticing what she was wearing. His frown suddenly melted and something – _Shock? Disappointment? Confusion_? – _strange_ flashed in his gaze as he looked back up, into her eyes.

Feeling self-conscious, Sakura pressed her back against the wall and folded her arms across her chest. "What are you doing here?"

"I was looking for you. Everyone is waiting for us downstairs. It's time to go," he said, stepping into the room. She noticed then what he was wearing: a black dress shirt that fit perfectly around his muscular torso, and dark, worn-out jeans. He was dressed in all black, and he was beautiful, just like in her nightmare. Indeed, he was the vampire of her dreams.

"Already?" she asked. For some reason, she'd been hoping to have a few more time to prepare.

"Yes. What are youdoing here? Why are you wearing-" his eyes flickered below her face, "that?"

"Your mother gave it to me. As a gift." Then, impulsively, she asked, "Do you like it?"

Sasuke seemed as taken-aback as she was. Why in the world did she ask that? Maybe she still needed some sleep, to shake the stupidity off her. She opened her mouth to apologize, but he replied in that moment, "I do. It's very pretty. My mother is very talented. And you… well," he looked away, "it looks good on you."

She was thankful for the darkness that shielded her, because in that moment, she could not help but blush. Even under these circumstances and after everything that happened and _would_ happen, she was still a girl, he was still handsome, and she could still _feel_.

Biting her lower lip, the half-breed stepped towards the Uchiha, her bare feet light and soundless against the wooden floor. "Sasuke… There's something I want to tell you."

"I think you've said enough," he said sharply, still not looking at her. "You don't want me to go with you. You think I'm an idiot. You think I belong here, with my clan and in this place, and not with you. I get it, Sakura. But none of it is going to change my mind."

"No, it's not about that," she said, shaking her head. "Because… you're right: I've said enough. And I understand that nothing's going to change your mind, and that I can't force you to stay, no matter how much I wish I could. So I think that discussion is closed for the moment."

He looked at her again and hesitated. "Does that mean… you do want me to go with you now?"

"No. It means I've realized how stubborn you really are. Trying to keep you from doing what you want is useless, so I should just shut up and get over it," she smiled heavily, "right?"

Sasuke snorted quietly. "Wish my father would think the same way."

She knew they would start arguing again if they kept talking about this, so she went back to her point. "What I want to tell you is a secret. I haven't told anyone yet. I think only Kakashi knows, because I had to tell him when we were trying to find out if I had a gift too."

"Okay," Sasuke said, his black eyes attentive.

Sakura stepped closer to him, until they were only a couple of feet away. "Remember when we first met?"

"You fainted as soon as you saw me," he said, smiling a little. "And then, when you woke up, you told me I was a vampire. How did you know it, by the way?"

"I had met you before. You were in my first nightmares ever, Sasuke, the ones that came right after my accident. In them, I was in this same house, in this same room, wearing this exact dress and this necklace. Unexpectedly, you showed up and smiled at me, and I saw your fangs and the blood on them. I had this dream for several nights, and I always woke up screaming and sweating, because I was scared of you. When I finally saw you in real life, of course I freaked out."

Sasuke seemed puzzled. "You dreamed of me before we even met? How's that possible?"

"I don't know. I think it's because of my gift. I can dream the future. My dreams are prophetic, but in a metaphorical way." She told him about her ancestor's book and how the interpretation worked. "It's true," she continued, seeing the disbelief in his eyes. "I have tested it in many occasions. And right now I'm realizing they're prophetic in a _literal _way, as well. That first nightmare is practically coming true, right now, right here."

Sasuke looked away, his eyes unfocused and pensive. He was quiet for several seconds, and then he mused, "I don't see why you could be kidding."

"I'm not," she assured. "I'm serious. And I'm certain."

Sighing, he looked back into her eyes and examined them for a long moment, as if searching for something he'd lost in them. The intensity of his gaze left her breathless. Unconsciously, she took a short, discreet step closer to him. "Do you hate me, Sakura?" he questioned lowly.

It took her a moment to regain composure, and another moment to understand what he was saying. "Hate you?"

Sasuke grimaced. "Don't. Don't hate me. I know I'm probably making things harder for you than they already are, but my intention is to do the opposite. I promise I'll do it. I'll keep on trying to make things easier. That's why I need to go with you. I'm doing it for you. And for me, too, because… I want it. To be with you, I mean. You know, not in a serious way, but more like – I want to hold you while you cry. No, no, I don't want you to cry... But I want to be there in case you do… Do you understand what I'm saying?"

A soft smile crept on her face. "I understand that you're gibbering. Is that good?"

He exhaled heavily. It was almost funny how hard he was visibly struggling to find the right words to say. "No, I'm not gibbering. I'm just trying to make you understand that you… you mean a lot to me. I know we barely know each other and that I wasn't very nice to you in the beginning, but I feel… I don't know; something weird. It's frustrating. But it feels… right."

Sakura realized he was speaking aloud everything _she_ felt towards _him._ She also felt that strange, frustrating thing that felt good in spite of all… which meant they felt the same way. She hoped that was a good sign.

Not allowing herself to ponder upon it too much, she reached for his hand with trembling fingers. His skin was warm and rough and normal, but somehow, its touch sent shudders down her spine and fire through her veins. She linked her fingers through his, and he squeezed back. They were much closer now. If she tilted her head a little upwards, she would be able to taste his breath.

"You have no idea how bad I have been feeling," she murmured, gazing into his lovely orbs. "Ever since I came here, I've caused nothing but trouble. Still, you and your family have been so incredibly nice to me. I wasn't very used to such kindness, because I'd never really needed it before. Now, I'm afraid of actually getting used to it and of forgetting to give something in return, which is the correct thing, isn't it? Besides, it feels wrong to be so dependent and weak. I've always tried to be strong and self-sufficient, and I want to keep on doing it. Suddenly, though, that seems impossible."

Sasuke lifted his free hand and tenderly ran his thumb across her cheek, wiping a single tear she had unintentionally shed. "I understand. But it's too soon for you to be able to manage this whole situation by yourself, Sakura. You barely found out you about all this a couple of months ago."

"But that's my problem," she whispered earnestly, "not yours. That's why you shouldn't worry about it, and why you shouldn't go with me. No matter how much it pains me to admit it, the truth is that I'm not good enough for you. I'm _ruining_ your life."

"Ruining my life?" He smirked, caressing a strand of her hair. "Sakura, you've done the complete opposite."

* * *

><p><span>Notes:<span> Yay for fluff!


	38. The goodbye

**Chapter thirty seven**

_The good-bye_

There was no time to change clothes. Still wearing the dress and the ruby, Sakura grabbed her bags, put on shoes and a black wool cardigan, and followed Sasuke down to the entrance hall. He took her suitcase, adding it to the rest of luggage he was carrying, and held her hand as they skipped down the stairs. The sensation of his skin against hers made her feel light-headed and giddy and almost forget everything that awaited them in the future. She had never felt this way while holding hands with someone, but she was already starting to get used to it.

She wondered if they were already a couple. She knew he liked her – but couldn't really believe it yet – and he knew she liked him – because she'd been pretty obvious with the hand-holding and all that, hadn't she? –, so they were definitely not just friends. However, they hadn't kissed yet, and Sasuke had not directly asked her to be his girlfriend or something of the sort. Maybe this was a mutual, silent understatement. Maybe they were just taking things slow. Or maybe none of that really mattered right now.

When they stepped into the hall, Sakura's heart suddenly gained a thousand pounds and she felt it sink to her toes. Everyone she cared about was there: Shizune, the Yamanakas, the Uchihas, Naruto, and even Kakashi. Only Tsunade and TenTen were missing. She wished she'd had a chance to say goodbye to the two of them, but maybe there'd be a chance in the future. She hoped so.

The heavy silence was broken by Shizune's sobs. The woman ran towards Sakura and threw her arms around her. The half-breed closed her eyes and hugged back as tight as she could, drowning in the love and sorrow of her cousin and on her own. This was what it felt like to be hugged by someone that knows she's probably never going to see you again, Sakura guessed.

Shizune wept on her shoulder for a couple of minutes, and then she had to sit down as sobs convulsed her body. Sakura was crying now too, mainly because it pained her to see her cousin so broken because of her.

The Yamanakas, minus Ino, came next. The three of them hugged her lovingly, reminded her she would always have a family here, and advised her fervently. Sakura listened, but as she watched them, she got lost in the memories of all the time she had spent thinking they were just her best friend's family, when in reality, they were_ her_ family, too. And now they were here with her, supporting her in spite of everything. Gratefulness warmed up her chest.

Itachi stepped in front of her when the Yamanakas were done saying goodbye. The vampire's dark eyes, so physically similar to his brother's, yet extremely different at the same time, were concerned and solemn. "Sakura," he said, "please be careful. I… I wish you the best of luck."

Awkwardly, Sakura hugged him. It felt weird at first, but then it got better. His arms were strong but gentle as they wrapped around her shoulders, and his chest was warm and comfortable. She realized then just how much she was going to miss him. He was the closest she had ever had to an older brother.

When it was enough, Itachi let go of her, smiled softly and mussed up the top of her head. "Be good to my brother."

"I'll try," she said, smiling through the tears.

Naruto was next. He lunged at her without a warning and wrapped her in a bear hug. "Sakura!" he wailed next to her ear. "I'll miss you!"

Sakura grimaced, but hugged him back. "Me too, Naruto," she laughed. "You're a great guy. I'll never, ever forget you."

The werewolf broke the hug, but kept his hands on her shoulders. His expression was dramatically stunned and his tearful eyes wide. "Forget me? It's not like you'll be gone forever! You will come back one day, and we'll hang out and stuff. I'm _sure _of it."

She knew he was just lying to himself, because everyone knew there was a possibility she might never make it back. Still, there was no need to argue in a moment like this. She smiled sweetly at Naruto, took his hands in hers and squeezed them. "Alright then."

"Okay, boy, my turn," Kakashi said from behind the blond. Naruto stepped aside, sniffing, and let the vampire hug Sakura. His touch was light and delicate, and he smelled of tea and cookies. "You're an excellent person," he murmured into her hair. "Don't let anyone take that away from you."

She closed her eyes, making a small, lonesome tear spill down her cheek. "Thank you for everything you have done for me, Kakashi. Without you, I would have never known what I'm actually capable of."

"You're taking the book with you, right?"

"Of course. I'll continue keeping track of my dreams. They might be very useful from now on."

"Indeed." He let go and smiled under his scarf. His only visibly eye gleamed with fondness. "It was a great pleasure to meet you, Sakura. Take care."

She nodded, unable to say another word through the huge lump in her throat. Kakashi stepped aside, uncovering the person waiting behind him: Ino.

Gingerly, Sakura looked away as her cousin stepped towards her. She watched Sasuke struggle to get out of Naruto's brusque bear-hug. In that moment, she realized she was the reason those two best friends were being separated, which caused her a great remorse. Biting her lip firmly, she looked back at Ino.

"Hey," the blonde vampire said. The corners of her mouth twitched in a smile, but her eyes were opaque and pensive.

"Hey," Sakura murmured.

"I like your dress."

She looked down at it and flattened the skirt. "Thank you. Mrs. Uchiha made it. It's supposed to be a replica of the dress my mother wore in her wedding."

"Oh. It's beautiful. And it looks great on you."

"Thanks. I, um, I like your blouse."

Ino smiled at her outfit: a pretty, purple blouse with long sleeves, white pants and black boots. In spite of her casted wrist, she still looked as stylish as always. "Thanks." She looked back up and her forced smile melted off. "I regret telling you all that mean stuff earlier, Sakura. You didn't deserve my harshness. I was just really angry and stressed out because I've spent most of my life looking out for you, putting you above everything, and now you're going away… I guess I just snapped, you know? But it was wrong to take it out on you. I'm terribly sorry."

The half-breed took a deep breath. "I understand, Ino. I would have snapped if I were you, too. I'm sorry I'm putting you through all of this, but none of it has been my choice. I never chose to be half vampire or to be a burden. If I could, I would switch my life for anyone else's. But that's impossible. The only thing left to do is to just deal with it and… to keep on living."

"So you don't hate me for being such a jerk?"

Instead of answering, Sakura stepped toward her and hugged her, careful not to hurt her wrist. Ino was startled at first, but then she hugged her back as tightly. "I could never hate you," the green-eyed girl murmured. "You're my best friend, my cousin."

"And no matter what," the blonde said, "I'll always be."

* * *

><p>As Shizune and Sakura hugged, Sasuke approached Kakashi, who was the one standing the closest, and thanked him for being such a great teacher and for helping Sakura so much. It made him feel strange to say all those things because they made this sound like it was a goodbye. Maybe it <em>was<em> a goodbye, but he didn't want it to. He wanted it to be a "see you later".

"You're going to be okay," Kakashi told him, putting a hand on his shoulder and smiling under his scarf. "I know you, kid. I know you can do this."

Sasuke offered a small, grateful smile and then turned to his older brother, who stood behind Kakashi, watching quietly. "Hey," he said uncomfortably.

Itachi smirked, hands in his pockets. "Hey, little brother."

"Seems like you won't have me around for some time, huh?"

"It's not going to be as good as it sounds, though. I'll have to be the one to deal with our parents' worry and the clan's drama and all that. Thanks, you bastard," he added jokingly.

Sasuke smiled. "Any time. Thank you, too, for… you know, not being a jerk most of the time. You're actually a good brother."

"Wow. Stop, please. You're making my eyes water," the other vampire said sarcastically.

"Oh, shut up. I'm actually trying to be nice to you, so why don't-"

Unexpectedly, Itachi pulled him into a hug, cutting him off. "I'm proud of you, little bro," he murmured, grasping his shirt tightly. "Only real men are strong enough to launch into a dangerous life just to protect someone they care about. You're sort of like a knight in shining armor. I _knew_ I shouldn't have read so many fairytales to you when you were little. But well, whatever."

"Thanks. But I'm not a knight; I'm just an idiot."

"Maybe. But that's okay. We're all idiots. You're just a very brave one."

Sasuke let go and grimaced up to his brother. "I'm sorry for causing all of this."

"It's fine, bro. We can deal with it."

Suddenly, Sasuke felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked behind him and saw his mother standing there, smiling sadly. "Hi, baby."

"Mom…" The young vampire hugged her tightly, burying his face in the crook of her neck and breathing in her familiar smell. He closed his eyes and for an instant he was a child again, hiding in the safe arms of his mother at the end of a rough day. He was taller and stronger than her now, but Mikoto would always mean the world to him. He'd never love someone as much as he loved her.

Sasuke managed not to cry, but his mother didn't. She sobbed silently against his shoulder and held him tightly, as if she were afraid he would escape. When she finally calmed down, her sobs died and her grasp loosened, and she stepped back and looked at him with red, watery eyes. "I'm sorry," she said. "I really meant to keep it together but… oh, darling. I am going to miss you so much."

"Me too, mom," he managed. "Thank you for everything."

Mikoto smiled softly and caressed the side of his face as tenderly as only a mother could. "Be safe, honey. Remember that we're going to be waiting for you right here."

Sasuke nodded. Before he could utter some final words through the knot in his throat, someone unexpectedly lunged at him, wrapped him in a suffocating bear-hug and started wailing non-sense into his ear. He recognized the voice and the brusqueness immediately as Naruto's. But instead of pushing the werewolf away, Sasuke let him hug him for a bit longer than he'd allow him to. After all, this could be the last hug he would ever give him.

When he couldn't stand it any longer, Sasuke struggled out of the hug and forced Naruto to be quiet and listen. "You're an idiot," he told him, hands on his shoulders, "but you're my best friend. Never forget that."

Naruto continued crying like a three-year-old. Thankfully, Itachi stepped in and took him off Sasuke so that the younger vampire could talk to the Yamanakas, who stood aside, waiting for him to be done. From the corner of his eye, he caught glimpse of Sakura and Ino hugging: another couple of best friends that would have to be separated.

"Sasuke," Inoichi Yamanaka said rather timidly. His wife stood beside him, wiping her eyes. "Thank you so much for doing this. Sakura needs someone to go with her, and I would have gone if I could, but I have a clan to lead. I'm so glad you're here, though. I trust you entirely, and I know you'll keep her safe."

"I'll try my best, sir," Sasuke said politely.

"If you need anything while you're away, don't hesitate to e-mail or call us," Mrs. Yamanaka added; her voice was clear but weary. "Money, information, aid, instructions, advice… anything you need, even if it's not an emergency, we'll always be available."

"Okay. Thank you."

Inoichi patted his shoulder. "No. Thank _you_, so much more."

* * *

><p>Sakura stepped through the door that connected the mansion with its garage. Mikoto was right behind her. They walked towards the car they were taking: a blood-red Toyota Matrix. The woman unlocked it and Sakura put the luggage inside the boot. Once done, she turned to Mikoto and tried to smile, but as soon as their eyes met, her smile wavered and her eyes pooled with tears, and suddenly, she wanted to scream.<p>

Instead of screaming, Sakura threw her arms around the woman, bit her lower lip so tightly she broke the skin and bled a bit, and cried quietly. Mikoto held her, whispered sweet non-sense and caressed her hair. "Everything's going to be okay, dear," she said, but both of them knew they could not be sure of that. The thought only made the girl cry harder.

A couple of minutes later, Sakura managed to get it together. She broke the hug, turned away and warily wiped her tears and snot with the back of her hands. She didn't want to be seen like this, puffy-eyed and vulnerable, and especially not by Sasuke, who would come at any moment. It wasn't because she felt ugly, really; it was because she felt weak. The sooner she regained composure, the better.

Taking a deep breath, she turned back to Mikoto. The woman was crying as well, but she didn't look as terrible as Sakura, maybe because she was so beautiful and perfect that even the redness of her nose and eyes were admirably gracious. Sakura wanted to be like that someday, but since it wasn't in her nature, she thought it would cost her a lot.

Mikoto smiled lightly at her. "Oh, the dress looks so good on you. It makes you look so much more like your mother, which is saying a lot, because you're almost a replica of her teenage self."

The question took the girl off guard, but in a good way. "Really?"

"Yes. If it weren't for your hair and eyes, you'd be identical. You have her same body complexion, the same milky skin, the same shape of the lips and eyes… although your nose is definitely your father's, and so is the color of your eyes. The pink hair is originally yours, of course."

Sakura smiled. "I think I'll dye it blond soon. Pink is getting boring, and besides, maybe changing my hair will make it harder to recognize me in a crowd, and therefore, it'll be harder to… you know, get caught."

"It's not a bad idea," Mikoto said. In that moment, they heard voices from inside the mansion approaching the door. It was time.

Trying to keep her throat from tying into a knot again, the half-breed took Mikoto's hands and looked her in the eye. "Mrs. Uchiha, thank you _so_ much for everything," she said. "You were incredibly kind and patient and like a mother to me during this short time we spent together. Really, I – I have no words to explain how grateful I am. I feel like I owe you so much."

"You owe me nothing, dear," the vampire replied, squeezing her hands. "I loved your mother very much and you're her daughter, so I love you too. Nothing in the world is ever going to change that."

Unable to speak, the girl simply nodded. Just then, the door opened and Sasuke and his father stepped into the garage. Mikoto let go of Sakura's hands and turned to face her son and her husband. "Ready to go?" she asked in a cheerful tone, as if they were just going to have a nice picnic in the park instead of fleeing the city for an indefinite time.

Sasuke's expression was blank, but Sakura already knew him enough to notice the grimness in his eyes. Something wasn't right – but how could anything be right at this moment, really? He was leaving his family, his home and his whole life behind today, just for her. She was thankful, but she also hated herself. She would never stop wishing things were other way.

Wordlessly, Fugaku moved around the vehicle and started checking the tires, the motor and the level of gasoline. Meanwhile, Mikoto said goodbye to her son. Sakura was already on verge of punching herself, so she walked away from them to not listen to their hushed exchanges of promises and wishes. Staying close to hear how much they were going to miss each other, how badly their hearts were breaking because of her, would be rather masochist.

"All set," Mr. Uchiha said at last, slamming the car's hood shut. He was expressionless, but his eyes spoke his real feelings, too. He and Sasuke were certainly father and son. "The car is in perfect conditions and you have enough gas to travel to the neighbor's city airport."

"The neighbor city?" Sakura asked perplexedly. "Why not this city's?"

"Because we have to do the unexpected, to be safer," Sasuke said, walking towards the car and opening the driver's door. He paused before climbing in, hesitated a few seconds, and then turned and looked at his parents. The couple now stood side by side, watching their son with clear apprehension in their gazes. "Thank you," he said, and his voice was so drenched in emotion that Sakura was taken aback. "I'll see you guys soon."

As Sasuke got into the car and started it, Sakura hurried over to the Uchihas and hugged them both one last time. Fugaku smiled sadly at her and said, "We'll be waiting for your return."

"Write and call as regularly as you can," Mikoto said, attempting to keep on a smile despite the fact that she was crying again. "Keep in touch to let us know you're okay. Don't worry us too much."

Sakura nodded and took a good look of their faces so that she'd never forget. Then, before she could have another break-down, she hurried to the car just as the garage's door automatically opened for them to finally leave.

* * *

><p>They stopped at the nearest supermarket to buy snacks, water and maps for the trip. Sakura stayed in the car, trying to choose a nice radio station to listen to, but all the songs were annoying and meaningless, and she couldn't believe why anyone would listen to them. In the end, she decided to turn the radio off and listen to the muffled sounds of the outside instead.<p>

Five minutes later, Sasuke came back. He threw the bags in the backseat and then sat on his seat, but he didn't start the engine right away. He put his hands on the steering wheel, the keys already in the ignition, and quietly stared through the windshield. Sakura also didn't speak for a long moment. Maybe they needed this silence, to let everything sink in and to ready themselves. They were barely out of their teenage years; they were not prepared for this kind of gigantic step in their lives. Yet here they were, two hours away from getting into a plane headed to the other side of the country. It was both sad and infuriated.

But at least they were together. They had each other. Sakura thought that perhaps Sasuke was already achieving what he'd promised he would do: make things easier for her. Because, with no doubt, there was no other person she would rather be sitting beside right now.

Unexpectedly, he spoke. "Things are about to get really complicated, Sakura. My father said the Hyugas are going to be furious because no one simply escapes from a marriage with their future leader. They're probably going to be looking for me. That adds another enemy to escape from for us. Still," he looked at her, "I do not feel regret. I am not scared, either… even though I should be."

Sakura wet her lips and put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey," she said softly. "Everything's going to be okay."

Sasuke stared into her eyes for a long moment. Then, he leaned in and his hand reached for the back of her head to pull her close. Their foreheads and the tips of their noses touched, and Sakura closed her eyes and sighed. He smelled of soap and faint cologne and of something else – something warm and welcoming that she could not name, but that she was learning to love.

After a torturous pause, he finally kissed her. His lips were soft and they fitted perfectly against hers, and his breath was hot and it filled the emptiness in her chest. Throbbing with desire, she put her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, coveting not for the wild feeling of a kiss, but for his skin, his heat, his taste, his smell – for _all of_ _him_. A simple kiss could not fulfill this longing. She wanted him in ways beyond her understanding. They were fascinating, terrifying ways.

But they would have to wait for now, because they had things to do.

Grudgingly, she broke the kiss, but kept their faces inches away. Her hands moved to his face and stroked his strong jaw line, his soft cheeks and his delicious lips. "We have to go," she murmured, hardly remembering the meaning of those words because the hunger in his eyes was unbelievably distracting, but knowing she had to utter them.

"We do," he sighed deeply, letting go of her with the same amount reluctance. Slowly, he straightened up and looked back at the windshield. "But first, I have something else to tell you," he said lowly. "Shikamaru called earlier and told me what he'd found out about your aunt. I meant to tell you before but, well, we had to say goodbye and all that."

"What did he say?" Sakura asked eagerly.

Sasuke explained everything his wizard friend had told him through the phone. "He said he isn't a hundred percent sure," he concluded, "and that we should find a wizard that has actually known Sasori before and take him or her to see Tsunade so we can know if it really is Sasori's essence. I have been thinking about it ever since, and I think I know who might be able to help us."

Her hopeful heart was fluttering with excitement. "Who?"

"His name is Gaara. He is Temari's younger brother and he's… well, sort of like you. He's the product of an affair between a vampire and a wizard, which means he is a half-breed, but since most vampires think humans' blood is filthier than wizards', he isn't seen the same way you are. Anyways, the point is that he can see people's auras like wizards can, has a vampire gift that might be really useful, _and_ I'm almost sure he's met Sasori before."

"A gift?" she repeated. "Which?"

Sasuke turned to her. "Teleportation. That'd make it easier for us to take him to see Tsunade. We wouldn't have to take a plane or anything, and we would leave just as quicker as we would arrive."

The pink-haired girl frowned down at her lap and thought. The idea was so good it was tempting, but what if this guy, Gaara, wouldn't want to help them? Or what if he ended up betraying them? Trusting the wrong person right now would ruin everything. They couldn't afford such risk.

However, there wasn't a better choice. And besides, Sakura refused to do nothing but hide around the world, awaiting her death; she wanted to be productive, and what better way to spend this time than looking for a way to wake Tsunade up?

"Okay," she said. "Let's try it."

Sasuke leaned in and kissed her lips once again. This time, though, the kiss was short and sweet, naked of the previous ravenousness, but complete with all the emotions that connected their souls. It intoxicated her equally.

Finally, they drove out of the supermarket's parking lot and through their hometown's streets. Sakura kept her eyes fixed on the window and her hand in Sasuke's. The sadness came back as she watched the buildings and trees pass by and be left behind. She closed her eyes and focused on Sasuke's hand and on the memory of their previous kisses. Then, she allowed herself to forget all the fears and worries haunting her, if only for now.


	39. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Tongues of macabre orange fire licked the dark sky overhead. They surrounded her, their overwhelming warmth making her skin sweat and redden. No matter where she turned, they were everywhere; there was no way out of the small circle of dirt she stood in. She was trapped.

Strange, unsettling music filled her ears. The noise was faint, as if muffled, but it was clear enough for her to realize it was a mix between fast electronic beats and lugubrious classical melodies. She didn't recall ever hearing something like that before, and she wished she wouldn't have to listen to it any longer because it made her feel more suffocated than she already was by reason of the heat and the fear.

And suddenly, beneath the frenzied music and the hisses and sizzles of the fire, she heard Sasuke's lovely voice. Relief washed over her, muting her terror momentarily. She spun around, looking for him. Was he also trapped among the fire, in a circle just like hers, not too far from there? Or was he running through the flames, trying to find and rescue her? Both options were frightening, but her dread was weakened by courage. If he was there, he was in danger too, so she had to save him. She didn't care if she had to risk her life to safe his, because his was much more important.

Sasuke kept talking, yelling her name and some other words she didn't understand. He sounded desperate, but also stern, as if he were warning her. Maybe he was telling her to stay wherever she was, but she could not leave all the work to him. If he was coming to her, she had to go to him too, so that they would reunite sooner.

Just as she was readying herself to leap out of her circle and into the orange flames, she heard another voice – also male, but amused and sardonic, and not as lovely or as far away as Sasuke's.

"Well, well, well. It seems like you came here by yourself. Thanks for saving me the kidnapping."

Her blood iced up and her heart stammered and then stopped. Very slowly, she turned around and met the darkest, coldest, most terrible eyes she'd ever looked into: Sai's. He was right there, in the circle, and right behind her, and so near he just had to lean in a couple of inches to lay his deadly lips on her smothered skin.

Sai's stony expression broke into a ghastly grin filled with hatred and wrath. Horrified, she screamed at the top of her lungs and stepped away from him, into the inferno around her.

* * *

><p><span>Notes<span>:

Thank you sooo much for reading my story. I know it wasn't perfect, but it was fun to write it. If you liked it, I love you for it!  
>Now, this isn't a goodbye. There's going to be a second part and maybe even a third - who knows? :P The plot is ready, so I'll start writing it this week and upload it as soon as possible. If you decide to give me author's alert and read the sequel of this fic, I'll love you even more! :)<br>See you later, lovely readers.

_~tragedyneverends_


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